A Never Ending Tale - World of Sorrow
by M. Press
Summary: This was a tale of summoners. Celestial Magic had been with man-kind since the ancient times, but comparatively to other lost magics, it was considered inferior by others. But why? Could it be that there was a power hidden that man-kind had long forgotten? After their mission at the Celestial village, Team Natsu will find themselves in the center of two worlds that was about to end
1. Verse 1: The Mission

**Hiya everyone!**

**This is actually a story that was supposed to be posted at the same time as my first story, A Fairy Tale. But I decided to post it after my first story since I might end up not finishing the both of them. But since A Fairy Tail is a very long series, I might as well post this one.**

**DISCLAIMER: **You know Hiro Mashima is the author of Fairy Tail and creator of it's characters. This is fan fiction!

Enjoy :D

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**A Never-Ending Tale – A World of Sorrow**

There was a legend . . . of a girl, sacrificed for the sake of the world.

They only went for a simple mission. How come things got so screwed up? They only wanted to save their friend, how did Team Natsu found their selves shouldering the fate of – _not one _– but _TWO_ worlds!?

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Verse I  
**The Mission**

_The blonde summoner stood in front of the pink haired boy._

"_Promise me, we will stay together forever. No matter what the circumstances are, you shall never leave my side and neither should I. For better or worse, our lives shall be shared and will be connected. When fate separates us, we will search for the other like our missing half. Death cannot do us apart. No matter which life time, we will always be by each other side._

"_Swear your vow to thy spirits, guardians of our souls that bind us together. Swear in the name of the bond that we share, the undying love you said you bear, and the unwavering faith of your soul. They shall keep our words and guide us through time._

"_We will stay together for eternity" she told him. She looked at him with her hazel eyes for his reply._

_The boy did not even hesitate and answered her the moment she was done. "I swear to thy spirits, in the name of the bond that we share, the undying love I bear and the unwavering faith of my soul. That I shall stay by your side, no matter the circumstances are. Our souls will be connected and we will find each other whenever we are separated by fate. Death cannot do us part. I will share my lifetime with you. _

"_We are together for eternity" he finished and looked at her with that toothy grin of his. She smiled in return. Both were oblivious on where that vow would take them and how much cost it would take to keep that promise._

"_Together for eternity"_

"LLLuuusshhiii" the pink haired lad called to the blonde lady as they walk. "Do we really have to ride the train".

"Yes, Natsu" she replied for the fifteenth time. "It's either train or boat; the boat takes us three days to get there while the train only takes five hours. Which would you prefer?"

"Can't we just walk or fly there?" he complained further.

"Natsu, we can't fly. Happy can only take one person at a time and it will be tiring for him to go back and forth for four people" she told him patiently. However, her patience was going slimmer every minute second.

"Let's walk, then" he told her. "That will take us a few weeks and the mission we got is urgent. The sooner we get there and finish it, the better".

"Natsu! Lucy! Here are your tickets" Erza, a woman with red hair, walked to them passing out the tickets she just bought. "Where's Gray?" Lucy asked, seeing the raven-haired boy not around.

"He already went to save us a seat. Done with Natsu? Come on," she ordered. They followed her to the train car and to their designated seat.

Lucy checked the mission paper after she seated herself. The mission has a good reward and it also seemed like an easy job for their team. They just need to subjugate a gang that was terrorizing the village in the coast. This gang were magic-users, which was why the military in the area were having a hard time.

This will be easy. There's nothing they cannot take!

Little did they know that this mission would lead them all to a whole different kind of adventure.


	2. Verse 2: The Celestial Village

Hello everyone!

Decided to upload the next chapter.

I'm trying my best to make them stay in their character. So yeah, you'll notice the romance part is slow at the start because in the real series they were not really highlighted (they were more focused on friendship). It'll get really dramatic when Lucy went missing. There will be fights _definitely_ that'll involve the Celestial Spirits sooner or later.

Hope you enjoy! :D

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Verse II  
**The Celestial Village**

"SERIOUSLY!?" she asked, rather loudly. Her teammates blinked at her in surprise.

"Uhh. Yeah" Erza said. She had just finished explaining the details of the mission that they were taking. When she had told them about the location of the place they were going to, Lucy suddenly burst at them.

"Why? What about it?" Gray asked at the blonde. Lucy's face visibly brightened at the information she received. Sure, Erza had told them before they depart that they need to ride the train because it was a bit far and that it was also near the sea. Erza gave the responsibility of telling that to Natsu to her. She hadn't really looked at the location of the mission as she was more interested on the reward and the mission's description. But to think that they were going to _Elysian Village_!? Who would have thought!

She looked at Gray who was beside her. "Elysian Village! It's a place of paradise, especially for celestial wizards!" she told him excitedly. "It's a place where the celestial spirit mages gather. I heard about it from people and it is a must-visit-place for us".

Her team nodded in understanding. She looked back at the window beside her; there was a dreamy look on her face. "I've always wanted to visit it, but I've never got time and money for a vacation. To think I'll be able. . . to visit . . . on a mission . . ." her voice trailed off as realization hit her. Her eyes widened.

THEY WERE VISITING IT ON A MISSION! A_ MISSION_, OF ALL TIMES!

She whipped her head at them. The latter was surprised at the sudden changed of behaviour. She looked at them accusingly, especially on the sick pink-haired lad in front of her who was lying on the lap of Erza. "You – You can't. . ." she told them.

"Can't what?" Gray asked. "You can't destroy the village! It's a holy place for us!" she lunged herself at Erza and kneeled in front of her, looking at her with those begging eyes.

"Destroy? Us?" Erza said, shocked at the outburst. "Why would we? We were rescuing it!" Gray replied, slightly hurt at the accusation. She glared at Gray. "For your information, every place we go on a mission always end up with at least two broken buildings, wrecked roads and large craters of mass destruction!" she told them. "Sometimes, I can't help but think that we cause more damage than the actual threat!"

"But Lucy, Fairy Tail can't go without a bang!" Happy, who was beside Natsu, commented unhelpfully. She pulled the blue cat's cheeks. "Yes, we can! You guys just don't know how to hold back!"

"Hey! Those situations were because of Natsu," Gray defended himself. "_Most_ of it was because of Natsu. Whose fault was it, when the whole lake froze where sensitive tropical fishes those poor fishermen's source of income live? Who had frozen the roads in the last mission that caused accidents on those travelling by wheels on it? Even Erza broke buildings when you guys had destroyed the cake shop while fighting a gang of thieves" she reminded them. They all shivered at the memory of the last sentence.

"Aye! For the first time, Lucy is right," Happy said. "What do you mean _first_ time!?" she pulled the exceed's cheeks again.

Erza sighed. It was true. Those 'accidents' where what put master Makarov on trouble with the council. "You're right. We need to hold back a bit. We don't want to put Master in trouble" she told them.

"Really!?" her face lit up.

"What else can we do?" Gray sighed. _When you put up such a face?_

_._

. . . . O . . .

.

A girl, wearing a black hooded cloak, walked around the busy street of the village. She looked over the sign of a shop.

**WELCOME TO**

**ELYSIAN SOUVENIR SHOP PARADISE!**

_Buy and Sell: Clothes, Maps, Celestial Books, Accessories, Magic Cards and Celestial Spirit Keys!_

The child gasped, her hand over her mouth. "C-Celestial Spirits!? S-So it's true!?"

The door of the shop opened as some tourists went out. "Boy! That was a good catch, ne? I can't wait to use this key!" said a lad, a few years older than her. He had spiky orange hair and sharp gray eyes. "Nesh, you should have let me have it. You already had five units, I only had three" complained his partner, who was a bit taller than him. He had brown hair, comb to the side and blue eyes.

Nesh stuck his tongue out at him. "I'm the first to found it. It's mine, Wendel".

"Wendel should make his self better at collecting info if he wants more keys" said a girl, few inches taller than her. Her straw-like thick hair tied in low twin tails. She have eyes as dark as a shadow. "Like you're one to talk, you only have two keys. Not to mention, you're keys were quite weak too" Wendel, the brown-haired mage snapped at her.

"Hey! I, Jorya Haspel, won't be looked down upon the likes of you. My dad has most of our house's keys! I know how to exploit my cards to its full use. Not to mention, I'm a double-user" the girl said.

"Dude, don't anger her. He's our boss' daughter, we don't want trouble" the orange guy, Nesh, reprimanded. Wendel spat. "It's because she's so damn annoying. . ." he mumbled enough not to be heard by the Haspel girl.

The hooded girl heard it all though. They had some things that caught her interest. She needed more information_. How are they connected to Celestial Spirits? How do they get to know them? How much offer do you have to make? How did they open the gates? How did they even get these keys!?_ Questions kept flooding her mind as she followed the people who may hold the answer. The city that she ended up with had fascinating advance technology and culture.

_This world has so many magic tools used in their everyday life, that the people doesn't even need to use their magic anymore_, she thought to herself. The people here were using magic tools so much, she would have thought they can't use magic and instead, rely on these things. But that sounded so silly. Magic was part of people's lives.

She saw a cook showcase his food by making it flip to the air with just the fire of the stove. A fountain was shooting colourful waters from the floating magic ball. The streets automatically lights up with the floating lanterns above. She even saw some people selling things like: _see-through glasses_ (it will let you see beyond the walls or what's hidden in the box. There were some suspicious-looking guys who were buying it), a mirror that reflects people's mood, a changeable kitchen utensil (it can change form according to what you need; from spatula to knives, and even to a fire-extinguisher!), quills that will write according to your thoughts (she needed this one!), and some enchanted whips (whips that can electrocute, burn, freeze and poison).

SO MANY wonderful things this world had. Though it was a wonder why, with this kind of technology, do they even need to go and stuck up with these things like carriages or . . . what was it called again? Tuna? No, that's not it. It should be easy to remember since the term had weather on it. Sunny? Rain? Oh but it begins with the letter T.

"Oh! That's right! Trains! Why do they have to use inconvenient transport like that?"

. . . . O . . .

"Why do we have to use such an inconvenient – no, _evil_ transport like trains?" complained Natsu once they had settled down.

"Natsu, I think it's only inconvenient for you" chirped Happy on his head.

"Ah~ we finally arrive!" Lucy had sparkles in her eyes and a rosy aura as she admired the village. She was no doubt too preoccupied that she couldn't care less about the woes of this pink haired lad.

"So this is the rumoured place huh?" Gray commented, looking at the village entrance.

_**WELCOME TO THE CELESTIAL PARADISE!**_

**ELYSIAN VILLAGE**

_HAVE FUN AND RELAXATION AS IF YOU'RE IN HEAVEN!_

"It looks like a good place. We can't have those gang bastards ruin it" Erza said.

"Of course we can't! It's a very important place to us. It's our sanctuary!" Lucy replied.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Natsu, who was completely recovered, grinned.

"LET'S GO!"


	3. Verse 3: The Darkness Behind the Stars

Hello everyone!

Decided to upload now! I'm currently working on chapter 4.

As for the girl in the hood. You can see her in the cover beside Lucy and Erza.

DISCLAIMER: You know this is a fanfiction. And you know the creator of this series. Obviously, I don't own any of this except my account.

Hope you enjoy it!

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Verse III  
**The Darkness behind the Stars**

"WELCOME TO OUR VILLAGE!" greeted the guard on the entrance. "Excuse us, but it is in our customs to know who are the people visiting our village, their purpose and what kind of magic they use. Of course, we want to confirm if you were at least accompanied by a celestial wizard".

"Ah, yes. We are from Fairy Tail. We are here on a mission request to subjugate a gang terrorizing this village" Erza did the introductions.

"Fairy Tail? You mean. . ." the guard's black eyes widened. "Ah. . . ah. . . T-Then you must be accompanied by Lucy Heartfilia-sama!"

They all looked at the blond haired lady.

"Eh?"

"Woah, I didn't know you're popular" Natsu commented.

"Popular? She's a _hero_ here! She got all the ten golden keys! Just two more and you will get the _entire_ Zodiacs! Waa~ I didn't think I'll get to see the day where I could meet her. Of course, you are the most welcome presence here! Can I get an autograph? Will you let me see your keys? Oh, I'm going to boast this to my friends!" the man exclaimed, fussing over Lucy.

"Nice. Lucy is a celebrity here, huh" Gray said, watching as Lucy modestly declined the guard.

"It's not that surprising when you think about it. This is a village for celestial wizards, and Lucy can be considered as the strongest of them all" Erza replied, proud of her friend.

"Guys! Shisio-san said he will book us in the best inn here for free!" Lucy called to them, her eyes shining for free items. The team sweat-dropped.

Meanwhile, as they were conversing with each other, a man was watching them from the top of the totem pole. His lower face covered by his arm rested on his knee, observing them.

He doesn't look like any man; his arm was covered by a coat of great brown feathers, it was his wings. His feet was scaled and in shape of a bird's clawed feet. And his eyes. . . his eyes were mismatched of red and gold, yet it is so sharp and intimidating. . . like an eagle's eye.

But he still had the figure and face of a man. He had brown hair combed to the back, though his pure white bangs were wind-blown. He was tan with a straight face. His face showed no sign of any emotion as he stayed still on his kneeling position. He was so perfectly still, that even when one looked up to this 30 feet totem pole, they would think that he was part of it or he was just a bird resting on top.

The wind blew at him, but he remained as still as stone. His eagle eyes never leaving the foreign group, especially the celestial mage who was queer to him.

The other's colors were all bright and big. Their magic was radiating from their bodies, almost overflowing. The pink-haired lad's red flame was unique compared to other fire users. The properties of his flame showed that he was definitely a fire dragon-slayer. Strangely enough, there seems to be a great power hidden deep within him. _A dangerous one. . ._

The dark blue-haired lad was radiating cold blue aura. _Ice-mage_, he thought. _He uses the ancient technique of ice-make. I thought no one could use this anymore. He holds great potential. . ._

The red-haired maiden's aura has strong metal colors, changing and twining together with fierce red and black outline. _An armor-and-weapon-type summoner. She uses requip magic, her specializations are knight-affiliated kinds. .. no, she could also use the other kinds well. It seems she learned to free herself from her armor. That's rare for a knight-user. . ._

They were a strong bunch, fearsome even.

But the one who got his attention was the celestial mage they were with.

It's not that she has special aura. Actually, she doesn't radiate any strong colors. No, rather, _she has no color_. Even celestial summoners were supposed to have affiliated colors, magic they favour. Yet this child doesn't show any aura. Was she really a mage? These usually mean that they are not magic user. Was her power that weak? Or. . .

Natsu felt the presence observing them. He immediately looked up. However, there was no one on top of the totem pole. _That's weird, I'm sure I felt someone up there. . ._

"Natsu! What are you doing? Let's go!" Lucy called to him.

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"This is even more amazing than what I have heard!" Lucy gawked at the flowing lanterns above. They had such various colours! One can even command it to change their shade or make it dimmer or brighter, whatever way you want it.

Of course, it wasn't only her who was admiring this place. Natsu was eating the fire from the stove that shoots out spiralling fire. Surprisingly, the owner didn't mind and was actually admiring him. "Woah~ I can't believe it! You're a fire eater, lad? That's some trick you got there! Eat up! Eat up! You're attracting more customers" he laughed merrily. "Well, it's not really a trick. . . I'm just eating. Thanks for the free food" Natsu said, gulping more fire.

She sweatdropped. _Natsu_. . .

Gray was on another shop. He had stripped again, but unlike in other places, he wasn't being chased by the police. Actually, it seemed pretty normal to wear little clothes around here since they were near the beach and it was pretty hot. Body paints were popular alternatives for clothes too. They gave Gray a free sample so he looked like he was wearing a black sando decorated with ships, sea waves and stars.

_Now that's some solution for the stripping habit. . ._

Erza was looking through an antique store. "Hmm, this sword is a bit heavy for my liking. . ." she said as she inspected the sword. "Woah, miss. You can carry that? You're quite strong. Most men needed two arms just to lift it" a weapon-shop owner said. "If you like, I might have some for your liking" he said, showing more of his collections.

The villagers here were all up and about as if today was a festival. Just to make sure, they asked if there was any occasion, but Shishio, the guard, said that it was always like this here. It will be livelier and more fun when they had festivals. Since the mayor was still holding a meeting, they decided to look around the place.

"Ah, look a grumpy-looking plue!" Happy pointed out at the snowman like dog with thick eyebrows being fed candy by a little girl. There were lots of spirits around.

"They were pretty artistic" Gray commented, as he looked at the body paint.

Lucy smiled happily. She was finally here, the haven for summoners and spirits.

A group of performers was holding their performance on the street. "Come one, come all! We are the Elemental Dancers! And we shall show you a glimpse o' our power!" called out a man dressed in a top hat and a suit. His clothes were dotted with glitters like stars. His dark brown moustache was streaked with gray. His little black eyes had wrinkles on its side.

He looked around, and when he found there were enough audience, he gestured to his assistant who handed him his cane.

His assistant was a lady with long black hair parted on the side. The lesser part of her bangs were pinned to the side of her head, exposing a part of her smooth forehead. She was beautiful; with almond shape black eyes, thick eyelashes, and a straight nose on her smooth and radiant face. Her skin was also smooth as silk. She had great curves, barely concealed by her white dress. Silver chains wrapped around her waist like an ornamental belt, the chains were wrapped on her arms and legs and linked to the band on her wrists and ankles and the black metal choker on her neck.

Lucy immediately knew who she was.

Poof!

The man had colourful smoke puff out at the end of his cane. He held it up and doves flew out into the air, spiralling each other with trails of rainbow smoke at their tails. The man tapped his cane, and drew out the water from the ground. He raised it higher, and it followed like a silk of ribbon, chasing after the end of his stick. He spun the water around his self. And the water encircled him like it had a life on it's own. Then it flowed to the air . . . and dived. It splashed to the ground; its droplets glimmered brilliantly against the sun, like little gems. And to the spot it landed, was a small boy.

He got quite huge front teeth, and had white rabbit ears. He was wearing a green vest over his woolly shirt, his belt looping on his light brown shorts, and brown boots were buckled. He got small but round watery brown eyes.

The audience whistled at the boy. Some giggled, while others nudged at one another and whispered. "And as any magician would have a rabbit out of his hat, why don't we have a rabbit chased by my cat?" He held out his silver key and called. "Lynx!"

And came out the spirit with great glamour. The lady had taken out a loop, set it afire and threw it in the air. The cat jumped into it perfectly and gracefully. The audience cheered. Team Natsu were also attracted to the feline. . . except Lucy.

She was looking at the boy who was trembling. No, he wasn't just a boy. He's a spirit too, just as much as the lady in chains.

"Ah, but I guess it's not enough for my hard to satisfy audience am I right? Very well, very well. Let me change that. Let's have Lepus the Rabbit chased by Lupus the Wolf instead!"

Lucy gasped. "No. . . Don't tell me –"

He took his cape and swished it at the cat spirit; and so the cat turned into a snarling huge wolf. The little boy flinched, his face paling at the sight of the terrible beast.

The lady had immediately chained the wolf in its collar, holding him off before he snapped the poor little boy's neck.

"Let's all count before my assistant here let go of Lupus and have the wonderful spectacle of a predator on its hunt!"

The crowd cheered and roared at the countdown. "Five! . . . Four! . . ."

"They can't be serious. . ." Lucy was aghast.

". . . Three!. . ."

Natsu noticed her trembling. "Lucy?"

". . . Two!"

". . . _No . . . stop them. ._ ."

"ONE!" The lady let go of her chains. The wolf immediately lunge forward, its jaw opening wide to snap at the rabbit.

"Open! Gate of the Lion, Leo! Gate of the Maiden, Virgo!"

A huge explosion erupted on the stage. People screamed. Debris flew around. Smoke and dust covered the area making it hard to see.

"Gyaah! What happened!?" the performer yelled.

The smoke slowly dissipated.

. . .

Lucy stood there, holding out two golden keys.

Erza had produced a series of shields to protect the crowd.

Gray had taken the man, carrying him like a sack of potatoes.

As the smoke cleared out, they saw who was at the center of the crater where the explosion happened. . .

Natsu stood there. His fist still smoking. Leo was in his suit, his hair spiked up. Both were glaring at the crowd that dared to make Lucy shake and be in near tears.

There was a hole where Lepus the Rabbit had been standing.

Silence. . .

"Hime, I saved Lepus just as you ordered" Virgo broke out. She was carrying the boy in her arms.

Lucy nodded.

"What the hell is wrong with you, people!?" the leader of Elemental Dancer's wiggled and thrashed around, trying to get out. Gray dumped him in the ground.

"Boss! Are you alright!?" A young man with orange hair and sharp gray eyes came running to them.

"Dad! What the hell do you people think you're doing!?" A girl with straw-like hair marched up, glaring at the two people who dared interrupted their show.

Lucy glared at her with equal disdain. "What do _you_ think you're doing!? How could you do that to your own spirits!? Why are you making Lupus eat Lepus? Can't you see how scared he was!? What are you thinking!?"

People looked at her. Disbelief was clear in their expression. "Haah?" the girl gave her a look like she just said a very bad joke. "Are you stupid?"

"Oi! I don't care about your business or your sense of entertainment but I won't stand here and let you torture others as you please!" Natsu glared at the two people.

The whole crowd laugh.

Erza and Gray and the whole team were surprised. _What was there even funny about?_

"Sheesh! I can't believe this!"

"You can't be serious! Are you?"

"Pfft. This . . . hahaha!"

Lucy was infuriated by their reaction. _'What is up with this people?'_

'_No . . . It couldn't be. . .'_ Leo's eyes widened at the realization and quickly looked at Virgo for confirmation. Virgo looked down and nodded disappointedly.

"ENOUGH!" The man on the ground stood up. The crowd quieted up immediately.

"I'm very sorry but it seems that there had been a misunderstanding."

"What?" Lucy looked at him.

"My child's spirit here is in no particular danger. This is just a show to please the audience. You see they like suspense and action. And besides, it's not like it will die. At worst case, he will just need to go back to the celestial realm and heal". He explained waving his cane around.

"But they can still feel! You're going to hurt him just for some stupid entertainment!?" Lucy yelled at him.

The man on the suit laughed. "You really do love your spirits, huh? Don't worry; it's not really a problem. As I've told you earlier, he's not in particular danger. My child was going to call him back second before he get hurt. We got it under control."

Lucy blinked. "Eh?"

"And besides, we are only training him. That spirit is really weak and cowardly, so we decided to put on this show to build up his courage . . . unfortunately, it seems that it has caused quite a misunderstanding."

Lucy's team stood there in stony silence.

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. ~0~.

* * *

The hooded girl had run after the group she had found to collect information. They went on a street and met up with a man on a suit and a top hat. They were actually planning to do a street performance along with their celestial spirits.

'_Alright! With this, I can collect more information!'_ she cheered at the thought. She was amazed at the show they put. She was particularly attracted at the chained lady. She looked at her curiously as she chained the Celestial Wolf. Her eyes were indifferent, blank . . . no, that wasn't the case. Those eyes. . . they were full of scorn and deep pitch-black darkness. Those were the eyes that had seen and experience the darkness of the world.

She knows those because she once had those similar eyes.

She didn't expect what happened next. There was a large explosion and debris of rocks and dust flew at her. However, a shield was put up right in front of her, protecting her from the force of the explosion.

The cloud of dust and smoke dissipated, her eyes widened as she looked at the scene in front of her.

A raven haired lad with cold blue eyes had taken the cane man in a suit. .

A woman with long scarlet hair had changed into guard armour and produced the shield that protected her along with the crowd.

At the center were two men. One was also in a black suit, wearing a red tie. The other was a pink haired lad, wearing a vest and a scarf.

And finally . . .

Among the crowds was a woman with golden hair and hazel eyes. She was holding two keys in front of her.

She stared blankly at her.

"She . . . she was here?" she cannot believe what she was seeing. A tear dropped from her violet eyes and flowed at her cheek. _She was here . . . all this time . . . how come she didn't notice her before?_

She cried.

Finally. . . _Finally_!

With this, she can save _her_. Her world . . .

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Chapter done! You can guess who is who among the spirits.

There was a misunderstanding? I wonder what Leo and Virgo was worrying about. . . hehe.

Honestly, there was supposed to be a fight scene on this one when they saved Lepus but . . . it'll get messy so I'll save it for later.

Thanks for all those who favorite and followed this story! I'll try my best :D


	4. Verse 4: The Hidden Truth

**Hello everyone!**

**Here's the latest chapter!**

**Thank you for all those who reviewed, favorite, and followed the story!**

I already put the hints here and there if you can notice it. It's subtle as possible . . . or not. I'm trying my best to explain how magic works and this is applicable in the manga as well. More accurately, _**this is my understanding of the manga**_. Ask me if you have confusion or question.

Lucy is a really talented summoner, as shown in the manga. Also it has been shown several times that she could summon multiple spirits at a time. I hope her personality matched well and not OOC.

She is very loyal and protective of spirits. And she is also very lenient with them (she would pamper them when given the chance). She _loves_ spending time with them, so she'll try to summon more than one on this trip even though it isn't very practical (who cares about that?). When Lucy was a child, she used to summon _Aquarius _just to take baths with her!

.

From the previous chapter:

_Team Natsu had entered the celestial village. While waiting for the mayor they looked around town and watch the performance of Elemental Dancers, a group of celestial summoning mages who perform with spirits. They stopped the performance when they found Lepus, who they thought was going to be tortured, and saved him from Lupus . . . only to be told that there was a misunderstanding._

_"My child's spirit here is in no particular danger. This is just a show to please the audience. You see they like suspense and action. And besides, it's not like _it_ will die. At worst case, he will just need to go back to the celestial realm and heal"  
_\- Quote from Rohini Haspel -  
The Darkness Behind the Stars

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Verse IV  
**The Hidden Truth**

Lucy bowed her head in embarrassment.

The mayor was laughing when he heard the news from his son, Rohini Haspel (the man in a suit and top hat). He was telling the story of how they bumped into each other on the street while performing.

"I'm very sorry" she apologized. She was the one who went to talk with the requester this time which was usually Erza's job since this was a place of her field. The others were on the guest quarters to get ready.

At the head of the table was the mayor, Bahram. He was a short old man. His hair was already white and thinning out. His face was full of wrinkles but the lower half was covered in long bushy beard. His eyes were thin that it looks like it was closed. He was dressed in purple robes with gold linings, and was holding a wooden staff.

"Hahaha. It's fine, young lady. It was an accident caused by a misunderstanding. Besides, you are our welcome guest! To think that the great Lucy Heartfilia would finally come to this village. I've heard how you handle your spirits. Admirable! No one could become so powerful with your method of contract and fighting style" he said, brushing his beard with his hand.

"No, I think everyone will become stronger if they treat their spirits as friends and not tools. My mother taught me that. The bond of the spirit and summoner and their trust for each other is very important. I'm sorry about the way I behaved earlier. I thought you were torturing him. I've seen so many celestial mages who treat their spirit horribly that I acted so harshly." her fist clenched.

Bahram looked at her. _'It is as the reports said'_ he thought. _'This girl is too overprotective of spirits. She had strong keys with her but she was so surprisingly naive. She looks weak too'_.

He smiled. "Oh, it's understandable. It's a good thing my son here recognized you. I guess it was quite a shock for you too".

Rohini Haspel laughed. "I recognize her when I saw her keys and spirits. We all know who were holding the zodiac keys. With our numbers diminishing, isn't it more surprising not to know her?"

"Umm. Ano, if I may speak so frankly. I still find it excessive to have Lupus chase Lepus" she told them. _'Though I guess everyone is entitled in each own opinion. For them, this was just a hard training to make their spirit stronger'_. She can't really say anything to that.

Bahram looked at her. It must be her imagination, but the eyes of this man seemed very cold for an instant. However, the mayor reverted back to his old kind face. "Is that so? Well, I sure hope you understand. There are different ways of making the spirit stronger. And the stronger the spirits are, the stronger the mage."

She had expected that reply. "I understand that. But it is also true that the stronger the mage, the stronger the spirit. You know the rules of energy exchange, right?"

The _energy exchange_ was a set-up in the contract where a mage sends his energy through an artifact (key) to force open the rift and cracks in spaces (called gates). However, that was not where it ends. The spirit that'll be summoned will use not its own energy but of the contractor's. There was a reason for this but that was another topic.

Anyway, it was set in the contract how much magic the spirit could use depends on the contractor.

This was the reason why multi-summoning was for professional summoners. Summoning a spirit will not only use lots of magic upon opening of the gate but also drain you constantly for maintaining them into this world. Summoning two or three will be like _splitting_ yourself into two. This was not counting the magic they'll use if they use their abilities. If you ran out of magic, they'll return back to their realms.

Bahram stroked his beard. "Are you reprimanding us, child?"

"I didn't mean that! I was only planning if I could spend some time here and spread the teachings taught to me. It was a new concept of celestial summoning" she told them.

"Actually, that was the _old_ concept that was long forgotten. But for the modern summoners, I guess it _is_ new. I know very well how summoning works, child" he corrected her.

He smiled. "But I see where you're coming from. You just don't want the teachings of your parents be lost, right? Anyway, we are getting off topic."

That was the cue to hear their request. Lucy nodded.

"About the request, can you tell us the details?"

.

* * *

They had quickly defeated the gang of thieves. Lucy had no idea how the soldiers in this village had a hard time with them. Could it be that they gotten so strong? No, she can't get careless.

"Well, I guess that's all about them" Natsu said, stepping on one of the thugs head. "Uhh no. Please spare us. . ."

"It went faster than I expected" said Erza.

The most important thing was they _did_ keep on their word. The damage was kept on the minimum.

"Hmm. With this, we have lots of time to explore!" Lucy cheered. "Most of all, there will be little deduction on the reward!"

Her team smiled at her happiness.

She summoned her spirits, Leo and Aries.

"Hehe! Good news! We're finally at the Celestial Village!"

Aries eyes widened and looked at Leo for explanation. He rubbed his head. "Yeah, that was what I was going to tell you." He told her.

Lucy noticed their silenced. "Are? Why are you so silent? Isn't this great?"

Aries smiled at her and nodded. "Uhn! I'm so excited. I want to try and see the clothing facility around here. I heard the threads were as smooth as spider's silk!"

Even though Aries sounds very cheerful, Lucy can't help but ponder on their initial reaction. Something felt off.

Leo broke into a big grin. Taking Aries's lead, he put an arm around Lucy's shoulders. "Yeah! Let's go on a date!"

She removed his arm. "Well, I have to summon the others; I guess it's two at a time". For normal summoners, summoning two spirits (especially zodiacs) will be a feat only for emergency situations such as when you are in battle or near death. However for Lucy, even though it'll be a bit hard, it _should_ be fine. Besides, she wasn't in battle. So the drain on her body won't be too bad.

She'll just have to concentrate really hard so that her power won't be drained too much. She wanted her friends to have fun as much as possible.

Leo's eyes widened at that. "No. You don't have to. You'll need to save your energy. Anyway, I'll go back first and tell the others. Aries, I'm counting on you. I'll be right back. You don't have to summon me Lucy."

With that, he went back to the celestial realm.

Leo, who was the spirit of the gate of the Lion and also known as Loke of Fairy Tail, was a very unique spirit. He could use and utilize his _own_ spirit energy from the celestial realm and use it for battle. He could also stay in Earth for a long period of time with no problems. Perhaps it was because he was once rejected by his own realm, having his gate barred from him for a very long time. This had given him a lot of time to adapt to earth's own spirit flow.

Celestial spirits can't stay on this planet for a long period of time not only because it would drain their summoner, but because their own flow of magic clashes with the earth's nature flow. Since the celestial spirits were practically a materialized form of spirit power and have no real physical bodies, this causes a great disturbance in their soul which, in turn, causes them real pain.

Lucy can't imagine what kind of pain that was. It might be similar to having your every cell shaken and clash with one another. It might be something like shock or electrocution. Was it the same as being crushed by a huge pressure that was dragging you down? Or maybe, being unable to breath like when you dive underwater since the air here was not the usual air where they could get an unlimited supply of magic. Or was it _all_ of that mixed together, forming a great way of torture to the spirits? The process of staying in the human world for too long was hideous.

It was sad. She knew that mean that she can't always stay together with everyone because of that. It means that everyone would be in pain if they do so. But at the same time she was happy. The fact that spirits _still_ remained here meant that they love humans so much that they would be willing to take risks. They were all good and loving people. They were your loyal friends who would stay by your side no matter what. That's why she loved them so much. She can't understand how some people could mistreat them.

.

* * *

"You mean Lucy is in the Elysian Village!?" Aquarius was surprised. Her long blue hair flowed at her back. She clutched her vase threateningly as if she's going to wash away the poor guy who had to deliver the news.

"Aqua, calm down. We all knew that this was going to happen sooner or later" Scorpio put a hand on her shoulders. He looked calm but you could see his red scorpion tail rise up threateningly.

"We all _knew_ this was going to happen. The village was made in commemoration for us. And she loves us so much she can't help but want to visit this place she read on the ancient books." Capricorn told them with his solemn and straight expression. His eyes were hidden in black square-rimmed sunglasses.

"We should have told Lucy from the very start!"

"Yeah! Instead of going in circles trying to stop her" said Gemi and Mini respectively. The blue little spirits were sitting on Taurus's shoulders. The bull made an angry snort on his nose.

The spirits had long been trying to stop Lucy from coming to the village. Every time she tried to bring up the subject, they would divert her attention. Even Aquarius helped, making a huge amount of destruction when she tried to earn money for the trip.

"And what? Have her charge at the village - ebi? We all know that she would be greatly disappointed once she saw the so-called Celestial Village - ebi" Cancer told them, holding his pair of scissors.

Virgo nodded. They all just wanted the princess to be happy and have no worries. She had cared for the spirits so much that they don't want to see the look on her face when she found out what sort of place the Elysian village was. It was something that can't be helped though.

"Why do we know moo-thing about this?" Taurus demanded. Being her celestial spirits, they should have known that before going to that village.

Leo put his hands on his pockets. "Apparently, she wanted to surprise us."

"Well, we're _certainly_ surprised." Aquarius told him sarcastically.

"What should we do once she found out?" Sagittarius, who was staying quiet, finally spoke. He was wearing the horse costume. "I am being summoned now."

Loke sighed. "Then just have fun. Whether she found out or not is up to fate. So let's just enjoy this moment while it lasts".

Sagittarius nodded. A blue portal opened at his back and he entered it. Lyra frowned. "I don't like this. It feels like we're keeping a secret from her. . ."

Grandpa Crux, the silver cross, sat cross-legged on mid air. He stroked his cross-shaped beard. "We're just prolonging the inevitable, Lyra".

Virgo watched them with those stoic blue eyes. Aquarius turned to Leo. "This is a trap, isn't it?"

Leo rubbed his head. "Most likely."

"Then we should warn her now."

"If we do that, the more she'll rush in."

"But –"

"We have more important pressing matters here" Horologium butted in. Being a master of time and spaces he had _felt_ it.

"I sensed a magic in her realm that was _not_ from their world".

.

* * *

A girl had arrived in the gates of Elysian village. She was wearing her usual white tank top and blue mini skirt. Her short light blue hair was ornamented with a blue rose. Behind her was her two lads with blond spiky hair and black messy hair accompanied by two exceeds.

"Welcome to Elysian village!" the guard had greeted them. "As per the customs, we want to check your purpose of your visit and if you are accompanied by a celestial wizard."

"I am Yukino Aguria, a celestial mage from Sabertooth. I am with the twin dragon slayers, Sting Eucliffe and Rouge Cheney. We were here for a mission requested to us."

The man smiled. He was around their age. He has a bit long black hair as dark as night. His bangs were a bit too long that it almost hid his left eye. A long scar was visible from his left eyebrow down to his left cheek.

He looked at them with his keen blue eyes and smiled gently. "Yukino Aguria, owner of the two remaining zodiacs and the thirteenth. It's nice to meet you. You may call me _Shishio_-san. Come this way . . ."

* * *

_"You need to keep a keen eye to see through the truth."_

* * *

The mission is a trap!? Why would they do that? What is the truth that the spirits trying to keep hidden from Lucy? Where was the infiltrator? Who exactly is the girl in the hood? How will team Natsu deal with the danger ahead?

Find out in the next chapter! . . . Maybe?

**_Leave a review }:D_**


	5. Verse 5: A Show of Gratitude

Hello everyone!

Thanks for waiting for this chapter. There was a slight delay due to school and writer's block but here's the story! The dark side is revealed.

Thank you for those who favorite and followed this story! Also those who reviewed.

Please tell me your comments and opinions. If you have any questions, then ask.

Enjoy!

* * *

. . * . 0 . * . .

* * *

Verse V**  
A Show of Gratitude**

"_Lucy," her mother called._

"_Hm?" she looked up to her mother. She was sitting on her lap as Layla read her the book of celestials._

"_Why do you love spirits?"_

"_Because they were so amazing! They were from an entirely different world but they can still make contracts with us. And also, mama loves them!" she smiled at her mother._

_Her mother patted her head. "I see. Then that's good. I have to tell you a secret."_

_The child looked at her mother curiously. The woman smiled at her child. "Did you know that it was the celestial realm that holds the Great Flow of Spirits?"_

"_EH!? Mama, didn't you say that all magic came from spirits? It was when your own spirit connected with the spirit flow of nature and materializes that it forms the phenomenon we called "magic". You said that the connection was love!"_

_Her mother nodded. "Yes. The bond that connects all our hearts together to form magic was love. And with that as the fundamental basis, you can say that it was the original source of all magic"._

"_The One Magic!" she beamed. _

"_My! You remembered everything I thought you." Layla was proud of her daughter. She was still young but she possessed lots of potential._

"_Then . . . why do the celestial spirits come to earth?" Little Lucy frowned. _

"_Now isn't that an interesting question?" her mother chuckled._

"_Mama! Just tell me" she whined at her._

_Her mother only smiled at her. "You'll find out someday." _

\- *0* -

Lucy was busy browsing at the set of magic arrows to give to Sagittarius.

"Oh, you have a good eye, my lady. That golden arrow was lay upon with a spell to follow any target you shoot" explained the weapon shop owner. Team Natsu was also looking around. Gray was interested at a set of spears. Erza was testing a long sword. Natsu?

Well, he was playing knights and robber with Happy, using the items for sale.

"Hmm. But Sagittarius doesn't really need this since he can pierce any target he wanted even with his eyes closed. . . Do you have something you want?" she looked at the man wearing a weird horse costume.

"Anything given by you is good enough for me." He said with salute.

She sighed. "This won't do. I don't know what to particularly buy. Hmm. Oh, what's that?"

"Oh this? This is a set of silver arrows. This is very effective against vampires, werewolves, and other creatures of the night. Would you like this one instead?"

"Can you give it for half a price?"

"That will be hard, unfortunately. The spell casting at this silver was very intricate. The cost was quite a sum."

Lucy pouted. _Looks like I won't get a discount on this one._

Upon seeing the disappointed look on her face, he added "But I could throw in a set of exploding arrows for free."

"It's a deal!"

There was a loud crashing sound at the center of the room.

Natsu had toppled over a set of armors. Happy, who was chasing him, laughed.

"_Natsu_ . . ."

Not only he had the usually strict red haired demon glowered at him. Both Erza _and_ Lucy were on him, cracking their knuckles.

He paled at the girl duo.

. . .

* * *

"Oi Lucy. I said I'm sorry." Natsu was trailing behind them.

Lucy continued pouting. "Be thankful that the shop owner was kind enough to still let me have the freebie, or else you'll be reaaallly sorry. Anyway, I was able to also buy some really good stuff."

"Sheesh. It's not like I broke them."

"You COULD have. I thought you're saying sorry for that" she snapped at him.

"I'm saying sorry because you're angry" he told her. Okay, so maybe he was usually annoying her from time to time just to see her angry face (it was really _amusing_ to see), but not this time. She was especially irritable today. And from experience, that's a huge sign not to get on her bad side.

"Hmm. Then treat us to lunch" she pointed at a food stall.

"Eh?"

"Well, I'm always the one who treat you to things. So this time, _you_ do it" she crossed her arms and gave him a daring look.

"Yay! Lunch! Lunch!" Gemi and Mini, the small blue spirits, cheered in unison. Sagittarius had gone back after she had called the twins.

"Oh, count us in too. I feel eating something meaty and expensive, flame-brain."

"WHAT!? Who said I'll treat _you_ to lunch?" he glared at the raven-haired lad.

"I want some salmon!"

"Not you too, Happy!"

"Then, I'll take on a strawberry cheese cake."

"I didn't –" upon seeing Erza on their side too, he decided to shut up and comply.

He ended up treating everyone on _his_ tab. What's with everyone's super diversified orders?

Anyway, he ended up spending the money he saved from the down payment the mayor had given from the mission. They chose an expensive restaurant (Gray's idea). He seriously considered running away. But upon seeing the happy look on Lucy's face (and of course the delicious set of foods), he decided to stay and pay.

He looked at his empty wallet.

He sighed.

_This_ was why people shouldn't get on her bad side.

.

* * *

"What? Natsu is here too?" the blond spiky haired man smirk. They were walking upon the cobbled street.

"Ah, yes. He, along with Lucy-sama . . . and her team." Shishio raised an eyebrow at him. "I suppose that is good news for you?"

Sting shrugged. "I just found it interesting that we were having a mission on the same town."

Yukino frowned. '_For Lucy-sama to be on this town_ . . .'

The young man, who was called Shishio, smiled. "Maybe it _wasn't_ an accident".

He opened the door for them to meet the mayor.

.

* * *

Lucy blinked.

In front of her was a small white flower held by the small boy with long rabbit ears.

Lepus looked at her with beaming brown eyes and wide toothy smile. "This is for you, Lucy-sama! I found it on the cliff side near the beach."

"Why, thank you. It's a beautiful flower" she smiled at him.

Natsu raised an eyebrow. "Why are you giving her a flower?"

"That's a rude way of speaking" she reprimanded him. "It's not like he put a poison to it."

The boy shifted nervously at the gaze of the other strangers. "I-I didn't m-mean a-anything b-bad. I-I j-just w-wanted t-to thank Lucy-sama . . . f-for s-saving m-me . . ."

"Look! You scared him off!" she smacked the pink-haired man. She turned back to the boy. "Don't worry about this guy. He's really nice once you get to know him" she smiled reassuringly.

At that, the boy beamed again and nodded enthusiastically.

"Huh? Where's your summoner? Weren't you supposed to be together?" she looked around, looking for the girl with twin tails.

Lepus rubbed his head shyly. "Ehehe. I sneaked out. I wanted to show my gratitude . . ."

"Oh I see. Then thank you again. I really appreciate this flower you had given me."

The boy cheered. "Then do you want to see more?"

"Eh?"

"Come on!" The boy carried her. For someone so small and weak-looking, he was surprisingly strong. He carried a girl twice his size up with his two hands and dashed. He ran way too fast, that he only left dust at the shocked Gray, Erza, Happy and Natsu who were left standing there.

"OI! WAIT JUST A DAMN MINUTE!"

They ran after him.

.

* * *

Lepus had brought her at the top of a cliff. The waves were crashing below the rocks. The sea breeze blew gently at her hair. The flowers danced among the wind.

"Isn't it a beautiful sight here?" he asked her.

She looked up. The sky was so blue. White soft clouds drifted by. What a fine weather. "It's beautiful!" she told him as she admired the place.

"It's even more spectacular at night! You can see the stars here brighter than anywhere else. The moon also looked especially close in this area. And this was the only place where the moon flower grows!" he became more confident and talkative now that they were alone.

"Thank you! This is a really wonderful place" she beamed at him.

.

Yukino was running at the street. She was searching for the celestial mage of Fairy Tail.

"I need to warn her . . ."

Unfortunately, due to her speed, she wasn't able to slow down when a small child in black robes suddenly popped out from the empty alley between two stores.

They collided.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't looking. Are you alright?" she got up and held out her hand to the child on the floor.

The girl sat up and looked at her with those purple eyes. It was almost blank. She was silent.

Yukino, upon seeing that the girl won't interact with her, retracted her hand.

". . . Are you a celestial mage?" the child asked.

"Huh? Ah yes . . ." the mage was surprised at the sudden question.

"Then . . . are you after the golden keys?"

Yukino frowned. _What was this child getting on to?_

The eyes of the girl were penetrating.

"Data confirmed. Name is Yukino Aguria. Magic was celestial summoning. Holds two of the gates of the zodiacs. . . no . . . there was an irregularity of the thirteenth. Other keys are unneeded. Currently on the mission to –"

"W-What are you?" Yukino was surprised at the child who suddenly said facts about her. Granted, this child had most likely read this on the great library where the history and units of celestial mages were recorded. Could she be one of the key hunters?

"You are deemed as a threat. You must be eliminated."

Yukino had gotten to a fighting stance. She could feel the dangerous aura coming from the child. She took out her keys but she froze. She couldn't believe what she just saw. _"What the . . ."_

The girl had stood up. And from beneath her robes, shadows poured out. The darkness extended far enough that it encased them both. Yukino was inside the dark dome, trapped with the girl.

"Conditions are confirmed to be in favour. Come out . . ."

There was a loud hissing sound. It echoed through her ears. Cold chill ran down her spine. She looked at the girl and her eyes widened.

Something . . . _something_ was coming out of the _girl's_ neck. Large and slippery, it slithered out beneath her purple hair and off to her shoulders. As the head came out, she could make out its dark fangs. Its tongue came out with a hiss, tasting the air.

Yukino's mouth opened. From the inside of the girl came out a great black snake big enough that it could swallow her whole. She trembled.

She had a snake of her own. Ophiucus was a great spirit and one of her most powerful. She shouldn't be afraid of the other snake. But even she was afraid of Ophiucus' power sometimes. The only thing was, that spirit was contracted to her. Ophiucus' key was her own.

This one in front of her was the enemy.

She gathered her courage and called out to summon her spirit.

But . . .

'_What!? . . . My voice . . .'_ she reached for her throat in horror. She can't speak.

"I'm sorry . . ." the voice was softly spoken. It sounded really sad.

She only had the time to look up. The girl was standing a few feet away from her. The girl had looked at her with empty eyes. _Was that really her voice?_

The girl raised her hand.

The great snake lounged at the celestial mage.

.

* * *

"My! Congratulations on your success!"

Bahram beamed at them. His son, Rohini, handed their rewards.

"Sheesh, that was pretty easy. I can't believe you were having a hard time with those" Natsu told them with an unimpressed look.

"Well, it can't be helped. We were short on hand since we're preparing for the main event tomorrow. Besides the gang's leader used to be the vice captain of our security force. He knew the ins and outs of our system and strategy so they pretty evasive." Rohini told them.

"There's an event tomorrow?" Erza asked, curious.

"Yes. It was actually a monthly competition between the celestial mages to show off their power and spirits. Tomorrow is the grand finals." he explained.

"Lucy-san, it'll be a great honor if you were to come and visit the finals. It's a good chance to see lots of spirits and their mages." Shishio told them with a smile.

Natsu looked at him. _Somehow . . . he seemed different . . ._

'_He used to be jollier' _he thought. Now he looked more serious. His blue eyes and straight black hair gives the impression of a composed gentleman with lots of battle experience. What was odd was that it was hard to detect his scent.

'_Wait, why am I paying more attention to this guy?' _that wasn't like him.

'_Well, he was paying an abnormal attention at Lucy'_ his mind told him.

'_He did say he was her fan . . .'_ he reasoned

'_Yeah, but look at the way he look at her!'_

Okay, Natsu didn't understand the inner monologue he somehow came up with. What weird thought came to his mind just now? What "_look_"?

Usually he didn't pay much attention to his surroundings. He didn't pay much attention to Shishio when they first met him. Now, he started to watch this guy who was approaching Lucy with such ease though. How come he _just_ noticed that big scar on his face!? It was clearly attention grabbing.

"Eh? But I don't have the money to buy us all tickets though" Lucy said, which snapped him from his thoughts.

"Oh you don't have to worry about that. We'll let you have free access along with your friends. Take this as a show of our gratitude." Bahram handed her the free access ticket.

"In that case, I'll humbly accept. I can't really decline that." she told him with a smile.

She took the ticket.

.

* * *

"Why did you say that you don't have enough money for the tickets? We just got payment" Natsu asked as he took his seat in the sofa of their room and devoured chicken drumsticks.

The room was quite luxurious. The cushions were red and soft. The walls were silk white with ornate patterns. Golden woods line the floor which was covered with velvet carpet. The furniture were carved with intricate designs. They got their own stocked refrigerator. A golden chandelier was hanging at the ceiling.

What made their room awesome (aside that they each had their own room) was that you can change the ceiling to reflect the sky above. You can also change the walls to any scenery in your mind. You can change it to a forest to look like you were camping, an urban area, or even your own room!

"Well, it's true. I already budget it for my rent and food. Plus, I'm planning to use the remaining amount to buying gifts and souvenirs" the celestial mage explained as she took a bite of cake Erza had ordered.

"I thought it was one of your tricks to get free tickets" Gray told her.

"Mou, what do you think of me? I won't lie about something like that. I really wanted to go when I saw the poster but Aries and Taurus wants to visit the farmland at the south of this town. They really wanted to see the Azuria plant for its many abilities such as healing and silk properties."

Happy tilted his head. "Why not just go the day after tomorrow?"

"Well, they were in a hurry. They want to pick flowers of Azuria. It makes a very pleasant herbal tea. It's said to only bloom once every year though, and tomorrow is the season. It wilts only after a day."

"Oh. Then you can't go tomorrow?" Erza asked. She put down her tea cup.

Lucy sighed. "I guess I just have to buy a preserved Azurias. I can't decline Shishio and Bahram's offer out of good will. I know they'll understand. It's such a rare opportunity. I'll make it up with gifts and souvenirs!"

.

* * *

"I'm sorry. The plan didn't work!" Aries bowed her head. Taurus crossed his arms.

"Argh! I should have figured out! Our normal tactics won't work now!" Leo massaged his head. Sometimes their master was way too stubborn.

"Why can't we just tell her that there was an invader from another world – ebi?" Cancer asked, he spinned the scissors in his hands.

"If we do that, she will just want to stay more until they catch him. And I got the feeling that it's better to stay away from that visitor" the Lion Spirit explained.

"You may be right on that assumption." A man's voice said.

All the spirits looked at the source. They found a man with brown wings for arms and a bird's claws for feet. His bangs were white and wild in contrast with his straight brown hair combed to his back. The most prominent were his mismatched eyes of red and gold which were as sharp as an eagle's.

"Aquila . . . What are you doing here?"

.

* * *

Lepus was cheerily hopping at the streets back to the manor where his master resides.

"Lepus!" a woman's voice called out to her.

He flinched.

He turned to the woman. His body had turned stiff and sweaty. He instinctively crouched as if to hide.

"Where were you?" the lady in chains called out worriedly. "Jorya-sama has been expecting you to train. If she caught you skipping . . ."

"S-Sorry, Andromeda . . . I-I just thought t-to thank L-Lucy – sama" he bowed at her, his voice trembling.

She turned stiff upon hearing that name. " . . . I see. You really took a liking of her. I guess it can't be helped then."

"S-Sorry . . ."

"Don't apologize to me. Just hope that she didn't find out."

The boy nodded.

"Lepus! Are you training properly?" the girl's voice snapped at him.

He jumped.

"He is doing his job diligently" Andromeda covered for him.

"If that's the case, then let's test him out. The contest is tomorrow. I can't have him be weak and bring me down." Jorya Haspel told them. Her straw-like hair was tied in pig tails. Her dark eyes narrowed at her spirits.

Andromeda looked at her very coldly. Her eyes were full of disdain it was unnerving.

'_No. It's fine. She always had that look to everyone. I am her master, I hold the authority!'_ Jorya reminded herself. She took out her whip; sparks flew as she swish it on the floor. "What are you doing? Get into positions immediately!"

Lepus walked very timidly opposite of Andromeda. She felt annoyed. "Lepus! I told you to stop slouching! You're making me look like a fool!" she threw the knife at him.

He instinctively dodged. The knife hit the ground.

"Pick that up." she ordered.

He took it.

"The usual routine. Andromeda, hit him with everything you got. Lepus, _this time_ you should be able to penetrate her defence. We've gone through this for so many times."

They got to battle stances. Lepus's stance was still shaky and weak. Andromeda's were much steadier but quite soft.

"Start!" She whipped the ground.

A chain sprouted from the ground and zoomed at Lepus. He jumped backwards, dodging it.

"Be more assertive!" Jorya yelled at him.

Another chain swiped at his direction, he crouched down. The chain missed him in a few inches. His battle partner raised her arm. A chain appeared beneath him. It coiled as it tried to trap his feet. He jumped sideways.

A series of more chains followed him but he ran away from it all.

"Andromeda! Stop going easy on him! Attack seriously!"

The spirit ignored her.

Tick marks appeared on Jorya's face. "This is an _order_! Hit him!"

The collar on Andromeda's neck glowed. The same way it would when you heat an iron extremely. Andromeda crouched in pain. She gritted her teeth. She raised her hand and made a swiping motion.

A chain with a metal ball rose from the ground in front of Lepus and whipped at him. The ball hit him in the stomach and he flew at Jorya's direction. He rolled at the ground until he was in front of her.

He crouched in pain. Irritated at his poor durability, she stepped on him.

"So this is as far as you go?" she looked at him with disgust.

". . . I-Im s-sorry . . . I'm s-sorry . . ." he cried out, clutching his stomach.

"Get up" she told him. The boy was still in his crouching position.

"I said get up!" she repeated. Upon seeing the boy still not moving, she kicked him.

"He took serious damage. If we don't give him treatment he'll be unable to fight!" Andromeda called out.

"And that's his freaking problem! He's so weak that one hit will be enough to render him useless! He should be thankful that I am kind enough to train him but look! He's not even putting an effort. It is still the same result!" frustrated, she kicked him again. He whimpered in pain. That's all he was ever good at.

"He's an evasive spirit. He's focus is on speed. He's purpose is to help on escaping and travel guide. He's not made for combat." Andromeda grabbed her arm.

"You dare touch me?" she shook her arm away from her grasps. "It was this spirit's fault for not doing anything. Its speed is useful for assassination! Dang, I made a wrong choice in making a contract with it. It's a waste of magic!" she kicked him again and he rolled a few feet away.

He was shivering. His ears pulled down to his face with his hands that were protectively on his head. As if not hearing and seeing anything would make the pain gone.

"Stop."

Andromeda stepped in between them. "Any further and you won't be able to use him tomorrow. It'll take weeks for him to recover in the celestial realm".

Jorya glared at the insolence of her spirit. She stared back.

"Tsk. I'll let this one slide. But remember that I won't take this attitude of yours kindly next time. Father said that Lepus would be useful tomorrow." She turned away from her.

"U-Useful?" the boy's voice was trembling as he looked at his owner. The word was so foreign to him.

"Oh? Well, you'll see tomorrow. I heard you made good friends with Lucy Heartfilia. Isn't that right? She'll watch the finals tomorrow."

Lepus's eyes widened.

_No_ . . .

* * *

. . . * . . .

* * *

End of chapter.

Poor Lepus. I've grown to love his character. Probably because he was the most vivid one among the other spirits that I imagined.

A little explanation:

Okay! So the chapter 3 was not really a misunderstanding. Well, it's half-true. They were really training Lepus but Lucy's team intervened. It's true that they were going to call them back, but not after a few damage were done. Rohini Haspel recognized Lucy due to her keys though, so he decided to cover up. He kinda slipped though. Remember the quote I dropped the previous chapter?

_"My child's spirit here is in no particular danger. This is just a show to please the audience. You see they like suspense and action. And besides, it's not like _**IT**_ will die. At worst case, he will just need to go back to the celestial realm and heal"_

Him calling Lepus an "it" was intentional. I wonder if anyone noticed? He was among those people who treat spirits as tools. But he quickly changed it to "he" on the next sentence since he realized that Lucy was the traditional type of spirit mage summoner. He doesn't want to get on her bad side yet.

In ancient times, the celestial spirits were well respected. They were often treated as guardian spirit of summoners. In modern summoning though, people had forgotten the respect and tradition. They changed their attitude and considered themselves as "masters" while the spirits were their "servants". Spirits became tools for fighting. That's basically it.

I know that I shouldn't explain this but I just want to point it out.

PS: I really hope that Natsu was not too OOC. Really? I'm not sure anymore. The fandom often depicted him as someone who doesn't think. Well, he's definitely rash at times. Often charging head-on, but he's the type who acts more on "instinct". That doesn't mean that he doesn't think though. Right? [*SPOILER*] So I'm hoping that him noticing something was not out of line. I thought that his instincts would rush in on this one. He had good reason to feel that way.


	6. Verse 6: The Darkness of Light

Hello everyone!

Okay, fist off. I am very sorry for this late update, especially **LRCN** who asked me kindly to update faster!

I stayed away from fanfiction and manga as form of punishment for a series of mistakes I made. At least for about a month. FINALLY IT'S APRIL! I am free now.

Please treat the _hint_ of Nalu as a token of apology from me.

Just a bit of trivia: This story was conceived since Laxus's arc! You know, when he made his revolt and Lucy and the others were turned to stone. Natsu and Gajeel couldn't get out of the barrier that was supposed to be effective on stones and people past 80 yrs old. This little head canon was formed then (I just learned what head canon means last month. The perfect word for this story).

* * *

. . * . 0 . * . .

* * *

Verse VI**  
****The Darkness of Light**

_Little Lucy had a nightmare. Her mother was gone, everyone left her. She was all alone. She was surrounded by pitch black darkness. Cold and alone, she couldn't even hear anything. The silence was deafening._

_She would wake up full of sweat and unable to move. This caused her to fear the dark._

_. . ._

_Her mother visited her that night to help soothe her fears._

"_Now, the story I'm going to tell you is about a man who loves the light" she told her._

"_The man loves the light so much that he despised the darkness or anything that tainted it. He hated it so much that he wanted to erase it from the world. He doesn't realize that it was a bad idea though."_

_Lucy was surprised at that. "How can erasing darkness be bad!?"_

_Her mother smiled. "Lucy, the light and dark were just two sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other. They form a balance. Everything must have an opposite of them as with sun and moon, winter and summer, death and life."_

"_I don't get it . . ." the child admitted, screwing up her face in confusion._

_Her mother chuckled and continued the story. "One day, he decided to get rid of it. He gathered all the darkness around the world, hoping to erase it as a whole, leaving only light to remain in the world. He hadn't anticipated the vastness of the darkness on the world though. Slowly but surely, he changed."_

_Lucy gasped._

_Layla continued her story. "Each person has both light and dark inside them but as he gathered the darkness around the world, his own light faded out. He became different. From the man who loves light, he became a person who only hates the darkness. He destroyed anything he deemed as evil and unpure."_

"_Isn't it good that he only targets the evil ones? He's still good, right?" her child asked worriedly._

_She shook her head. "There's a difference between love and hate. In his campaign against the darkness he despised, he forgot about love and was only filled with hate. The darkness was just too much for a single person. His own light was then taken as an exchange."_

"_Why did that happen? Is the darkness too strong for people?" her child was aghast._

"_No, Lucy. It's not because of the darkness being too strong" her mother said but she wasn't reassured with the story. "But a good man turned evil! Evil won!" she wailed at her mother._

"_Lucy, I said that everyone had light and dark that fights inside people. It always fought with each other inside of us. What matters is who to choose, the light or the darkness" her mother explained._

_She still felt bad about the ending the man had. "The man became evil even if he loves the light. Does that mean that the darkness is too strong? How can I fight it then? Am I just supposed to accept it?"_

_Her mother patted her head. "No, Lucy. It's not because the darkness is too strong that he became evil, it's because he threw away his own light and forgotten love. I said that you can choose what you wanted to be and he was so absorbed in his hatred that he chose darkness. . ._

"_Now, to answer your question" she shifted her daughter so that she would be sitting on her lap. "Do you see the sky at the window?"_

_Lucy looked up at her glass window to see the clear night sky._

"_The sky was full of darkness right? Do you find yourself afraid of it?" her mother leaned her head at her own. She thought about it. "Not from here" she told her. For some reason, she found herself not afraid of it. But she was sure she fears the dark though._

_Her mother chuckled at her answer. "Look at the stars. They were surrounded by darkness but they chose to shine bright. They illuminate the night sky along with the moon to light the way on the people down on earth."_

_Lucy looked at the bright twinkling stars in the sky, her own eyes reflected them. "The stars are not afraid?" she asked her mother in wonder._

"_Maybe yes, maybe no. There are lots of different stars. However, all of them choose to shine against the darkness. Their own light connected with each other and reached the hearts of everyone."_

_She was amazed at that. "I want to be like a star!" she told her mother._

_Her mother hugged her. "That's good. Walk the path of light, don't falter against the darkness."_

. . .

* * *

Lucy had woken up from the bright light coming from the window. She found herself on the bed of her own room. . . _What!?_

She got up.

'_Eh!? Wasn't I at the Elysian Hotel!? Why am I on my own room!?'_

She remembered sleeping on a victorian style room with white pristine walls bordered by mahogany wood. Red curtains hang on her windows and white velvet veiled her bed. The marble floor was waxed and polished that you could see your own reflection on it. Red carpet with symbols of the zodiacs at its rim was laid at the center. It was such a luxurious room that she fell asleep happily.

It reminded her a bit of her old home.

Maybe that was why she had a dream about her mother. She had forgotten what it was about though. But it gave her such a nostalgic feeling.

She heard someone snoring besides her.

Tick marks appeared on her head as she knew – even without looking – who that man was.

"Natsu!" she stood up and grabbed at the piece of clothing that she could pull. It turned out to be his scarf.

The pink haired lad was pulled down from the bed along with Happy. "Mmm ~ Just until I finish this fish~" the cat mumbled sleepily.

Natsu grudgingly opened his eyes upon feeling the cold hard floor. He looked up. "Oh, Lucy . . . 'morning . . ."

The blonde celestial mage who was standing over him, glared. "What are you doing in _my_ room? You got your own."

"Hmmm? Oh that. Well, I found out that you can change the settings of the room. The magic will form according to what you have in mind" he told her, oblivious of her harsh tone.

They were still at the hotel. The illusion and morphing magic was set up on each room so that it would help to suit the customer's taste.

"Natsu. I won't ask why you changed the setting to look like my apartment but you should have done it at YOUR OWN ROOM!" she emphasized the last words. _'Why are you even sleeping here?'_ that was a question she had no answer at. Natsu and Happy often crashed at her own place that it became a _habit_. Even the other team members _caught_ this habit of his.

"But Lucy, it won't be your room if you're not there!" Happy explained. Natsu nodded like it was a valid and logical reason.

"Yeah! It's _just_ not your room" he told her. Actually, he _did_ try what she had just told them earlier but . . . he felt uncomfortable sleeping on that empty apartment. _"Empty"_ was the best word for it. Maybe because it was just an illusion, but the place just didn't feel right without Lucy in it. The usual fun, warm, and comfortable atmosphere that welcome him every single time was not in there.

So he sneaked– _ahem!_ – went to her room instead.

"Whether it's my room or not, I want my own privacy for once! Why are you guys so dense about personal space!?" she scolded them. Thanks to these two's childishness, you would have forget or won't notice but two people of opposite gender sleeping on the same bed was really inappropriate.

Lucy was more worried for her own peace though. While it does feel so _natural_, she knew having these two would mean trouble and destruction. Yeah, she was slowly losing her common sense with these two.

"Oh come on! Your bed is really warm" he told her. It was really soft, not to mention, it was filled with one of his favourite scent.

"I don't care! Why did you even waste this opportunity to sleep in a luxurious room? You could always have sleep in my room back at the apartment" she asked. Even without permission, they would always do that when given the chance. She remembered the moments they did that.

He grinned cheekily. "Oh I see. You hear that, Happy? She said we could sleep at her apartment!"

"Aye! She said it!" the mischievous blue cat cheered.

"Wha –!? That's not what I meant!"

"Too late, you said it. Celestial mages are bound by their words!" he told her, his arms crossed in triumph with that smug look of his. He won't let this chance slip.

"Aye!" Happy agreed, trying to hold back his glee.

"Grr! You two are so unfair!"

.

* * *

Yukino woke up on a dark place. She had no idea where she was.

From what she could see from the little light that spilled from the little holes and crevices between the woods, she was at an old cottage. The windows and were boarded up though and the door seemed to have been locked tight.

"How . . ?" her mind was still hazy from the pain on her head. Her body still felt stiff and tired. Slowly though, the events before she blacked out came back to her.

She stood up, suddenly regaining her strength. She was surprised that she wasn't tied up. If she was the captor, she would have bounded up her prisoner to make it harder to escape. She checked her keys, knowing that they were taken away.

She was proved wrong when she felt the familiar touch of metals on her fingers. While glad that her spirits were with her, she can't help but wonder why they were there. Had that child didn't know of the keys?

She remembered that little girl's purple hair and calculating violet eyes. No, she remembered her saying that she knew of her identity as a celestial mage and the keys she held. What was the agenda of the girl for bringing her here?

"Is . . . is someone there?" croaked a tired and scared voice.

Startled, she whipped her head at the direction of the sound.

Through the dim light, she saw a man who was slumped on the wall. He looked weak . . .

She ran to him. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"A man . . . so suddenly . . ." he tried to say but it was obvious that he was forcing his self to speak. She knelt beside him. "You don't have to speak if it's too painful . . ." she told him as she checked his wounds. The middle aged man doesn't have any. She wondered if he was left here to starve.

The man looked at her. His small black eyes widened. " . . . Yukino . . . It's you right? Thank goodness . . . Hurry . . . you . . . must warn them . . ." he said grabbing her arm, the chains on his wrist clanging together. She realized that his arm was chained to the ground.

"How long have you been here?" she asked him.

"Don't worry . . . about . . . me . . . the man . . . use strange magic . . . Yukino . . . I _can_ tell . . ." he told her, his voice was dry.

"H-How do you know me?" she doesn't know this man . . . _does she?_

He seemed surprised at her distantness. "You . . . you don't _remember_ me?"

She frowned. Was she supposed to know him? She looked at the man, trying to recognize him. He had short black hair, small black eyes, quite an average face for a middle aged man. It was her first time seeing him . . .

_No_ . . .

That was wrong. Slowly, her memory of him came back replacing the image of a young man with blue eyes.

Her eyes widened and she gasped.

How could she have forgotten this one man in this village she could honestly like? How could she have mistaken him for someone who was much younger and sinister!? He was one of the nicest person she knew unlike what the Elysian villagers had turned into . . .

"Why are _you_ here? Then . . . that man . . . who was _that_ man!?"

.

* * *

Erza frowned. While this place was really pleasant, she found herself uncomfortable. People were all nice on them but sometimes, she could feel unwanted gazes. Not only that, she felt the magic surrounding this place was different.

She wasn't an expert at detecting magic class but she had been with Lucy for too long that she had gotten used to her magic which was always warm and bright. That's the best way to put it though she can't describe it herself. She thought all celestial mages were like that. Yukino, who came from Sabertooth, had pretty similar attributes though not as bright or warm as her friend.

This place was different though.

The magic of the celestial mages she saw were cold. She doesn't felt any light. That could be due to her own incompetence at detecting it though. Maybe, her friend's magic was just so great that she was unable to see the other's light.

She sipped her tea.

She was sitting on a slice of strawberry cake. Her table was made of chocolate bars with wafer sticks with choco filling as its stands. Her bed was a circular strawberry cheesecake; the red fruits were her pillow. Milk was cascading like a waterfall at the head of her bed. Her ceiling had cotton candy clouds floating above it. Images of ponies with wings and bright sparkles were jumping on it from one to another. Her walls were made of cream. Her floor was made of caramel. Her windows were made of sugar. Her cabinet was a five layer mocha cake. Mints were her decorative plant.

Yes, this was a sweet haven.

"This room is really convenient . . ." she mumbled.

She was really impressed at what you could create inside this room with just an imagination. To think even small figurines could be formed with the likeness of her friends. She had made them wear '_cute'_ animal costumes.

Of course, she had forbidden them from entering her room. She was just trying it out. She couldn't have them _mistaken_ her for having a weird fetish. (Yes, the extent of her imagination made even _Erza_ shy).

.

* * *

Night of the Finals

* * *

They could hear the people cheering loudly even outside of the stadium. Beam of lights coming from the light lacrimas were waving in the air and into the night sky.

Shishio smiled at them in welcome. "This way, Lucy-sama. Gray-san and Erza-san" he told them.

Gray frowned. He didn't miss the way he didn't mention the dragon slayer's name.

They were all ushered in the stadium. At the center was a big circular pit. The audience stand was raised above where people sat and cheering, taking bets on who would win. They got the honor seats at the top box, besides the mayor's family and high ranking officials.

The lights were shut off. The only light they could see was the stars above the open roof.

"Ladies and gentlemen! I welcome you for this wonderful night of our monthly festival! Now we have reached the finals where we will have the top four of the celestial mages face off against each other!"

Spotlight focused on the small old mayor at the center of the pit. He waved his hand in an open welcome; a microphone was floating under his chin.

The crowd cheered louder if that was even possible.

"Today is really a cause for celebration. This day is more special than our previous competitions. Why, you ask? Because the holder of the Zodiacs had finally visited this town!"

The spotlight was directed at Lucy. People gave her applause in welcome. She waved shyly in recognition.

"Finally, after all this years. The twelve golden keys that were only passed on as a legendary artifact had finally returned!"

Everyone yelled in cheer, smiles stretched on their faces. Their voices could reach the sky.

* * *

.

At the back of the stadium, the cloaked girl hid in the shadows. Her own hood was put over her head, shielding her face from being seen. A hissing sound can be heard at the corner beside her.

"I see. . . Would the princess be fine?" she asked seemingly to no one.

She looked at the celestial girl that was on the top box.

.

* * *

"Now! Let's show our contestants for the first battle! First off is Rodela! A girl with great charm that was definitely passed down to her entry spirit. Everyone! Let's welcome, her and her silver spirit! The Dove, Columba!"

A girl with long mahogany hair came out and walked to the center of the pit. She was wearing a white flowing sleeveless dress that reached to her knees. Cloak of white feathers, which was draped over her shoulders, was pinned by a set of blue wings. Her headband was plain white. Her matching combat boots had wings on her ankle.

She held out a silver key whose handle was in shape of wings. The tip of which was shaped in the likeness of bird's beak.

"Gate of the Dove! I summon you, Columba!" the gate opened, revealing a young girl around Wendy's age with white wings on her back. She had short white hair and black round eyes. She was bare foot. A laurel wreath was set on her hair, just above her ears.

Men whistled and cheered.

"And her respective opponent, Nesh Gildamar!"

A man with gray eyes and orange hair came out from the opposite end. He flashed a smile at the girls making them squeal. Jorya Haspel rolled her eyes. She was sitting at the top box beside her father. "Oi! Stop showing off that stupid face and summon him already!" she yelled at him.

He stumbled a bit and glared at the straw-haired girl. "Stop being so noisy, will you!?"

The crowd laughed at this two's antics.

"Sheesh!" he scratched his head in annoyance then regained his composure when he took out his silver key. "Ahem. Open Gate of the Hunter! Orion!"

The girls cheered and squeal. "Kyaa! It's the handsome duo!"

Sure enough. The Hunter stood next to Nesh. His prominent features were his sharp nose and cold intimidating golden eyes similar to a wolf's. He was wearing brown pants and hunter's boots. A matching hooded vest was over his green long-sleeved shirt. His dark brown hair was cut short. He was rightly muscular and tall. His looks were like every woman's fantasy.

"As per the rules of this game, no one is allowed to attack the mage. The player will win when either his opponent can no longer fight or gave up . . ."

.

* * *

Two cloaked figures were silently watching. Not the stage, but rather the four mages that came from Fairy Tail.

"Is this gonna be similar to the Grand Magic games?" Natsu asked. Lucy nodded. "Yes. But this is more of a one-on-one battle between celestial wizards. It's not a show-off contest where you will display your spirit's abilities and power and be given points respectively."

Yes. It would be similar. She remembered what happened to _her_, after all.

Natsu looked at her. Strangely, there was a hint of bitterness in her tone. No, she had been strange since earlier when they came here.

". . . Lucy?"

The match began.

"Now this is a match to behold! While it is evident that a man fighting a little girl seemed very one-sided, one shouldn't underestimate the Dove's power that gave way to Rodela to be among the top four!" the commentator spoke beside them at the top box as Bahram made his way back to his seat.

"Holy Ring!" the little celestial spirit called as she kicked and flew into the air. Golden rings of light appeared on her wrists and ankles.

"Columba's power was the _"Holy Ring"_. She could make golden rings of light on her wrists and ankles, these rings as the name implies, is of Holy property of magic that can boost her attributes when equipped. It also made her maneuvering skills in the air top notch. BUT, that's not its only power as most of you know. Throwing these rings can cause quite critical damage on the target." the commentator told the crowd.

"Holy slicer!" Columba, just as the commentor said, threw the golden ring straight at the man. He jumped backwards. The ring cracked the cement he was standing at.

"Phew! A dodge! He definite –"

He was interrupted by the sound of the arrow hitting on the wall.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHH!" the crowd whistled.

"WOAH! LOOK AT THAT! ORION HAD MANAGED TO LAY A TRAP IN THE SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME! As expected of the veteran! Sadly though, it's a narrow miss. It only graced the Dove's feather. Orion's hunt begins now though!"

Lucy looked uncomfortable that Happy immediately noticed. Not only her though. Erza couldn't shake off the feeling like they were being watched. She couldn't pinpoint who it was though.

Gray knew that there was something wrong with the atmosphere.

And Natsu . . .

No doubt, he felt his friends' discomfort. He knew something was wrong since entering this place. However, it seemed to be masked by the cheerful and happy atmosphere of the crowd.

Something's bound to go wrong. He knew that in his gut.

And so instinctively, he was on alert mode. His senses were reaching out trying to hear and see any danger that may come forth. He was ready to kick anyone that would upset his precious friend.

No one expected what happened next though. Even though they should have. . .

. . . when all the hints were there.

Natsu and the gang were shocked at the turn of events. Their eyes were wide with disbelief in contrast to the cheering crowd.

_". . . What the hell?"_

Natsu said in such a low and dangerously quiet voice. Lucy was shutting her eyes and looking away already. It was too gruesome and painful to look at.

Jorya along with the other people on the top box were cheering. She was smiling at the turn of events. Her eyes glanced at Lucy who was cringing in the corner. Her smile turned into a sneer.

_'Any minute now . . .'_

Bahram, kept on a straight face. Holding on to his staff, he watched the battle progress. However, he can't help but be surprised as how things didn't go exactly as planned.

"Hmm. Was Aquila's information wrong?" he thought to his self. According to him, _she_ would definitely act now based on her personality. She definitely won't let any of this happen in front of her eyes.

However, the celestial mage continued to sit there and watch the fight without saying anything.

"OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH! LOOK AT THAT! JUST LOOK AT THAT! Nesh is showing us just why he became the ultimate champion for the past three years! I thought Rodela could put up a fight at the very least. But as it turns out, Orion is _WIPING_ the floor with Columba! He dominated the ring! Rodela's gritting her teeth in frustration!" the commentator said as he watched the battle unfold.

On the pit were the two silver spirits. Orion looked coldly at his prey with those captivating golden eyes. Blood drip down from the cut on his right cheek. There were scratches on his arms and sides. His left sleeve was torn off.

However, Columba was far worse off.

She was breathing heavily. Her right hand was clutching her left side that was freshly injured. Her right wing was torn and hanged lamely on her back. Blood dripped down her head and into her face, obscuring her vision. Her lower lip was ruptured. She was bleeding everywhere as her body was full of injuries that were taken from Orion's traps. Golden dust disperse from her wounds, her spirit particles dispersing. There were burn injuries on her arms and feet from the bombs and cuts from the knives and arrows.

She was completely beaten up.

"Oi! Stop the match already! This is too much!" Natsu yelled at them. Rohini laughed. "Hahaha. The match isn't over yet. Besides, there's no reason to. Everyone's enjoying the match. I say Nesh's still going easy on her. As expected of my disciple."

"What are you talking about!? Isn't the winner obvious already? Just stop the match!" Gray added, his fist clenched in anger. He can't bear to see the little girl, who was the _same age as Wendy_, to suffer anymore.

* * *

Meanwhile, the crowd continued to cheer as Columba screamed in pain when she was caught in a bear trap when she tried to dodge Orion's shot gun.

Her right foot was stuck at the pointy teeth of the clamp that closed on her ankle, digging through her skin and flesh. Blood oozed out of the wound and sprayed on the ground. The amount of pressure and damage was enough to rip off her leg muscles.

Men whistled at the now helpless girl and started screaming.

"Slice her up!"

"Rip her clothes! I want some skin!"

The two summoners were on their respective platforms, giving commands to their two spirits.

"Orion! Nail victory by shredding her clothes!" Nesh smirked as he pointed at the beaten girl.

"YOU STUPID SPIRIT! FIGHT PROPERLY! THROW THAT SMIRK OFF THAT ARROGANT MAN AND HIS SPIRIT! DON'T MAKE ME LOSE FACE!" Rodela yelled at her spirit.

Natsu, Gray and Erza glared. Anger was filling up on their chests. These people were _sick_ in the head.

Bahram brushed his beard. "While it is obvious who the winner is, no one can stop the match as it is against the rules. As said earlier, the only time this game ends is when the user can no longer fight or gave up. Rodela sure has strong will and fighting spirit to continue the fight even in this state. How commendable."

"_Commendable!?_ You're praising a summoner who continues to let her spirit suffer this much without a care!? This is _stupid_!" Natsu yelled at him. He punched the chair he was sitting at with his flaming fists.

The other people on the top box screamed. They immediately stood up in alarm at the dragon-slayer's burst of anger. All, except the mayor who remained sitting there with dignity and pride as befitting a man of his title. He looked at Natsu very coldly.

"This is the final warning, boy. The tradition is held on for many generations. This is a holy battle between spirits. Try to interfere, and we will be forced to arrest you for breaking our laws," he told him with oppressing authority.

"There is _NOTHING_ "Holy" about this, bastard!" He yelled at him. Erza held his arm, aware of what he might do.

"Hmm. Wise decision, young woman. Any form of violence and we will be forced to arrest you," said Bahram.

Natsu looked at Erza in surprise. Why is she stopping him? He doesn't care about his threats. For heaven's sake! He was arrested by _the_ Council several times!

Erza's expression were hidden under her bangs.

"No. . . I stop him not because of your rules . . ."

Erza looked down at him with cold fury.

"**It's because I want to give _you_ a final warning too. Stop the match, or you'll face Fairy Tail's wrath**."

Everyone felt the pressure on her words.

"This is none of your business, outsiders" Bahram told her in dismissal. He was amused at this girl's notion.

"It is our business, when you make our friend cry, you bastard" Gray stood up now, his hands on his pockets. Everyone felt the temperature drop.

Upon hearing those words, Natsu looked immediately at Lucy. Tears were leaking out of her eyes as she cower on her seat, her hands were on her head. She was sobbing. ". . . No . . . Don't . . ."

Seeing her like this . . . His eyes widened in realization.

_However, the image of her crying hit him like a rock._

His heart turned into frenzy. It felt like there was a beast deep inside him that was wanting to rampage.

And all he wanted to do was unleash this beast on these people that made her cry.

_"NNNOOOOO!"_

He heard her scream and everything turned into a mess.

* * *

. . . * . . .

* * *

Got to end it here guys!

So the fight begins. How would they get out of this situation?

Natsu kept on noticing something and so are the others. But what is the goal of the mayor and Elysian villagers on showing this to Lucy and her team? Do you find Lucy strange on this chapter? Find out on the next episode (I mean chapter!)!

PS: By the way, the tale at the beginning is cut-off. I'll post the whole story in an extra chapter. Does this tale reminded you of a 'certain someone'?

Leave a review and thanks for reading :D


	7. Verse 7: Celestial Battle

Hello everyone!

Here's the next chapter! Thank you for everyone who followed, favorite and reviewed this story. Thank you for your messages. It really made me happy. I hope for everyone who reads this continually support me. And I'll do my best.

Special mention to **LRCN** and **bunnyhouse0611, MarinaHeartfillia, and Cato Yugi** for reviewing the previous chapters. Reading reviews really gets me excited and happy. It tells us authors how we were doing, so really thank you. I really appreciate it. :D

Also, for those who were reading my other story,_ A Fairy Tale_, I'm sorry if I haven't uploaded a new chapter yet. I know it's my first story and I should finish it (I am going to finish it, or I'll try to do so). I'm currently still searching for the flare I have on that one. I'm wondering if I should put it on hiatus for a moment and focus on this one (while stacking up chapters to post). It's hard to prioritize which story to update first.

Thank you again for reading :D  
Enjoy this chapter!

* * *

. . *. O. * . .

* * *

Verse VII  
**Celestial Battle**

Carla woke up at the dead of night screaming.

Wendy, who was beside her, sat up, alarmed at her best friend's outburst. "What's wrong?" she called out to her in worry.

Carla was breathing heavily. ". . . A nightmare . . ." she whispered, though she knew that it was more than that given her ability.

This was one of those times that she wished she doesn't have the ability to see through the future. If so, then it may not happen.

_A warning for the messenger_

She remembered those words with a shiver. "When worlds crossed and stars collide . . . Heralds the coming of end . . . A choice for one to decide . . . For judgement to break or bend . . ."

"C-Carla?" Wendy was really worried now. Her friend was saying cryptic words. The white exceed looked at her partner's eyes, her face was scared.

"Hurry! We've got to warn Natsu and the others! They're in danger! No . . . I'm not sure but . . . I believe it's the world that will be in danger!"

.

* * *

Natsu ignited his fist, ready to punch some sense to these people. Erza no longer made any attempt to stop him, instead she re-quipped herself with Black Wing armor. Gray put his hands together ready to use ice make.

However, two cloaked man intervened, jumping into the scene in the middle of them.

"What is the meaning of this?" Erza demanded, lowering her black sword a bit but still on alert. The silver trimmings on her black armor reflected the red flames of the torch on the stadium. Her red hair, tied on a high pony tail, flow behind her back. Her dark wings spread threateningly at the duo that dared stop her.

"I'm sorry . . . but we can't let you pass. It's better if you turn away now"

It was the Twin Dragon Slayers of Sabertooth.

Sting looked at her with determined eyes. His hand glowed with a ball of light in retaliation. His stance ready for battle.

Gray clenched his fist. He bumped them together, as every time he would when using Ice-Make. "I don't know what your reasons are for siding with them but we won't watch as Spirits become entertainment show for these sadists!"

"And what about Lucy?" Rouge said looking at the side where their two other team mates were.

Lucy, being a model example of what a celestial spirit should be, would never approve of this. No doubt, she would come running and bring halt in this brutal game. He looked at her and was surprised.

She was _stopping_ Natsu from attacking.

"What the heck!? _Lucy_?" he looked at her with total disbelief. _Why would she stop Natsu?_

"No. You can't . . . Lucy-sama will be in trouble if you do anything" yelled the blond haired girl.

Realization hit on them. "You . . . You are. . ."

Bahram stroked his beard, his eyes looked at the spirit with understanding. "Oh, I see. That's why you're not intervening this competition and kept crying in the corner. Very clever, for you spirits."

.

* * *

"Loke! What is this about? Why are you stopping me from going in?"

Lucy was at the corridor of the stadium where the finals were happening. She just went to the wash room for a bit when Loke summoned his self on his Leo form, blocking her way. He kept on telling her not to go, but he kept on being vague of the reason why that she can't take it anymore.

"You don't have to go. We sensed danger inside" he told her, standing at her front in an attempt to block her.

"Which is why I have to go, right? People are in danger!" she told him stubbornly.

"It's alright! Gemini is already taking your place inside. Just stay here" he said just as stubbornly.

She looked at him seriously.

"Loke, what are you not telling me?" she knew they were hiding something. He knew she won't let her own spirit fight alone. The whole day, all her keys were trying to make her go away from this village.

He averted his gaze. "It's just as I told you, there's an intruder from the other world inside. We're still trying to find out –"

"You know I won't buy that explanation" she stated flatly.

Loke rubbed his head in frustration. "I –"

He was interrupted again by the loud screaming in the stadium.

She pushed past him when she saw the chance.

"Lucy, wait!"

He chased after her. She ran inside down to where the audience would watch the finals. People were screaming. They were cheering for the participants. But their yells disturbed her.

"Slice him up!"

"Rip her clothes! I want some skin!"

She stopped on her tracks and was horrified at the scene in front of her.

At the pit were two celestial Spirits fighting against each other. It wasn't a battle with rules and scores like you would have a friendly sports competition. No, that wasn't the case like she thought it was.

It's a cockfight, one that was similar to the ancient times where the slaves were to fight each other to the death. Except, _Spirits don't die_.

"Orion! Nail victory by shredding her clothes!"

"YOU STUPID SPIRIT! FIGHT PROPERLY! THROW THAT SMIRK OFF THAT ARROGANT MAN AND HIS SPIRIT! DON'T MAKE ME LOSE FACE!"

Columba was trapped on one of Orion's bear trap though. Tears threatened to leak out of her eyes as her right foot was stuck on the pointy teeth of the clamp. She was covered with wounds. Blood dripped from it especially her head and her side that she was clutching, tainting the pure white dress with crimson. Golden dusts of her spirit particles showed that his trap pierced right through her ankle.

"H-Holy . . . Ring!" she managed to say out. She swiped her hand to his direction and throwing the golden ring on her wrists and ankles.

He dodged the attack, the ring of light crashing at the ground making a crack. He took out his knife and threw it at her. The girl tried to dodge but she was trapped. She immediately recoiled at the pain that shot up her right leg. She screamed in pain.

The knife hit her shoulder, ripping the strap of her dress. Men whistled and cheered.

"Columba! Get out of that trap right now!" demanded her summoner. Her face screwed up as she pulled her mahogany hair in frustration.

* * *

"_Gemini_, let go of me!" Natsu threatened, his face screwed up with anger.

He already realized that she wasn't Lucy way before them. Even though Gemini's "copy" was one of the greatest as the twins could transform themselves into a replica that was cunningly the same as the original down to the very scent, spirit and thoughts, he _felt_ it. But he just realized what the odd feeling was when he saw her cry at the battle.

He knew Lucy will never watch a spirit suffer without doing anything.

The twin spirit, in the form of Lucy, held Natsu from behind. "I'm sorry. . . I . . . there's no other way . . ."

"_Let go _. . ." He stressed the words, pushing his self forward and out of her grasps.

"I can't! Lucy-sama will be in trouble!" At that, Natsu stopped struggling from her grasps. He looked at her seriously. Gemini stepped back, but still kept a close eye on him. At least, she got them to listen.

Erza looked at her. "Why didn't you tell us?" she asked pointedly. There were so many to tell. Whether she was referring on why they switched places, or about this Spirit Battle was up to Gemini to answer. She was asking for her to explain everything.

"I'm sorry. I didn't tell you that I've switched places with her. If I did though, we would've been found out. We're being watched from the very beginning."

"What do you mean?" Erza asked. She remembered the uncomfortable gazes since earlier. So they were _really_ being watched.

"The request is a trap for Lucy-sama" said the spirit who looked like her master. She put her arm.

"A trap? Why? What would they want of her?" Happy asked as he hovered over everyone.

Sting shoved his hands on his pockets and looked at them. "Shouldn't that be obvious already? They're after her keys."

* * *

Lucy stood there in shock as she watched with horror the battle that was taking place.

Columba was stuck and bleeding to death. Orion, by the order of his summoner, was torturing her to shame. The crowd was going wild with excitement at seeing the poor spirit suffer.

Loke caught up with his master.

Rodela gritted her teeth in frustration. She hadn't anticipated the strength of Orion being this strong. _Nesh did a good job with training his spirit_, she was forced to admit it bitterly in her mind. Still, she doesn't want to lose so easily.

Then there's only one thing to do.

"Columba! Get out of the trap right now!" she commanded. "Cut your leg if you have to!"

Lucy's eyes widened, her hands on her mouth. "_No_ . . ."

The audience whistled and "_oohed_". They grinned and started chanting "Cut it! Cut it!"

Columba looked from her master then to Orion. Tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes finally dropped. The young girl bit her lip.

* * *

"A trap . . . for her keys?" Erza eyes widened at Sting's words.

Rouge stepped up. "Lucy was the holder of the ten of the Zodiac keys. Elysian villagers want their artifacts back. But they can't fight her directly, because she was one of the strongest. Not like they can ask for a Celestial Duel in the first place, Lucy will never subject her keys on a bet."

"So why go through all this trouble? What's the point of this match? Why are you stopping us?" Happy asked, confused at everything.

"We've got no choice but to stop you from doing anything stupid" Sting said.

"Stupid!? what do you mean _stupid_!?" Natsu lunge at the blond dragon-slayer, grabbing his collar. "I meant you guys stopping this sick-battle and assisting on Lucy losing her keys!" he explained to them.

Natsu looked at him in shock. "Oi! Why would Lucy lose her keys if we interrupt!?"

Understanding dawned on Erza. Her face darkened as she remembered some of the rules of Celestial mages that Lucy told her.

"The contract . . ."

The group looked at her.

"The celestial spirit contract breaks when a summoner dies or arrested for a crime." She looked at Bahram accusingly. "You want us – _no, Lucy_ – to interrupt the match and be arrested for doing so".

* * *

Lucy ran forward. "What are you saying to Columba? Summon her back! She suffered enough!"

Rodela looked at her without care. The unperturbed crowd just kept chanting for Columba to cut her leg.

She grabbed her whip and Capricorn's key but Leo stopped her hand. "No! Lucy, if you interrupt this match. You will be charged and arrested. This is their trap!"

* * *

Meanwhile, as everyone at the top box focused on the twin dragons, Gemini was at the back. She fell to her knees, her hands clutching her head as Lucy's thoughts flood through her mind. The pain, the terror, the sadness, she saw it all. She was frustrated and enveloped with fear for the silver spirit of the Dove.

Her feelings were too much that even the twin spirit was affected.

She was already here. Despair was clear on Gemini's hazel eyes as she saw what her master was about to do.

"No . . ." she cried softly. She doesn't want to lose her master. _Not their contract_. That was the proof of their bond that which kept her on earth . . . and to her.

"Someone stop her!"

That was when everyone realized what was happening below. Bahram grinned maliciously.

* * *

Columba raised her hands. The golden rings glowed and widened. She closed her eyes as she readied herself for the pain that she'll feel afterward. Tears leaked down to her cheeks, mingling with the blood that ran from her forehead.

The crowd kept chanting.

Her hands shook, her knees trembled. And she swung her arms down, slicing her own leg

"NNNNNOOOOOOO!" Lucy screamed, wide eyed. Tears formed on her hazel eyes as she watched her fall.

She was just a little girl . . .

They heard her scream. Natsu's eyes widened as he quickly turned and looked behind him.

Lucy was at the front, watching in horror as Columba fell. Leo was behind her, holding her wrist in an attempt to stop her.

It just dawned on them the chant and screams from the crowd. They were so focus on Bahram that they didn't notice what was happening at the pit.

Erza narrowed her eyes. _'No . . . a misdirection magic was involved'_ she thought as she scanned the people in the top box. There's no way that they – especially Natsu – wouldn't notice the chants below and Lucy's screams. She also just realized that Gemini was already on her knees, crying.

Sure enough, she was right. She felt the magic came from a blindfolded woman, in robes and veil of white, behind Rohini Haspel. Oddly enough, there were two small tubes that came from underneath the blindfold and connected to a crystal bottle that hang on her neck. Her hands were folded to her chest as if in prayer.

* * *

Leo was holding Lucy's hand to stop her from summoning. "Lucy! Don't!"

"Let go of me!" she said. She was crying but her hazel eyes were blazing with anger.

"No . . . tsk! ORION!" Out of despair, he called out at the hunter who regarded him. Columbia was sobbing, clutching her severed leg as it continued to bleed.

"You call yourself a man!? She was bathing in her own blood! Don't make her suffer any longer! Let her rest!" he yelled at him. Before Lucy could interrupt the fight, it's better for it to finish soon. Lucy's eyes widened at what he said. _No! NO! This was just too much_. . .

Nesh's eyes widened. He remembered his master's orders to prolong the fight until the holder of the ten zodiacs interrupt them. "No! Don't –"

Orion didn't give him time to say his order. He took out his shot gun and fired straight at the girl on the ground. It pierced a hole right through her chest. Even he doesn't want to do this. But celestial spirits are bound by their contractor's orders. This may seem brutal, but it was better than the fate that awaited her if he didn't. He closed his eyes.

"_I'm sorry . . ."_ he told her through telepathy link shared by the spirits.

Columbia was still sobbing as she disappeared yet she still smiled at him, her body dissolving into golden dusts carried by the wind. _"No . . . thank you . . . *hic* . . . This was . . . *hic* . . . better than to suffer at their hands . . . *hic*."_

* * *

Natsu stood there as the event unfolded. Sting, Rogue, Erza, Gray and Happy watched in shock and terror as they murdered a little girl.

"You . . . You _killed_ her!" Happy said, horrified.

Rohini pursed his lip. Bahram managed to look unperturbed by this, but he clutched his staff tighter in anger. They were displeased at the turn of events. Not because they care for the spirit or anything. No, everyone should know better than that by now. It was simply because it meant that their initial plan had took a different turn which they didn't expect.

"Killed? Are you stupid? Spirits don't die. They just went back to the Celestial Realm, idiot! Dang! Things went a bit out of plan!" Jorya snapped at them, biting her thumb nail in frustration.

"Watched out!"

Wendel shouted, he was a tall man with brown hair. His blue eyes narrowed as he grabbed Jorya and dodged the attack of the fire.

Natsu narrowly missed her with his flame punch. He had a dark look in his eyes as he glared at the people.

Anger boiled in him. He glared at the pieces of trash who find delight at torturing spirits. Who doesn't even bat an eye as a person was being killed. These trashes that treat the celestial spirits as objects . . . when to his precious, they were important friends she valued more than her life.

Most of all . . .

He saw _her_ cry again in despair. He had seen it many times, and the impact on him became heavier and heavier. And every _single_ time, his heart and mind went into inferno when he doesn't know what to do to make it stop.

He attacked, aiming for the mayor. However, someone dared to get in the way.

"Moved aside, Sting. You saw what happened," he snapped at him with venom in his voice. Sting was perturbed but he stood his ground. "I know these bastards are not worth protecting but . . . Yukino told me to stop you. Even if it's you guys who did it, the blame will be pinned on Lucy because she was the one who brought you here."

Rogue's eyes widened at the mention of his comrade. He just realized the missing white haired mage. He looked at Erza and Gray.

"Where's Yukino!?" He was sure she ran to warn them about this but she wasn't anywhere near here. Not to mention, team Natsu wasn't even warned.

"_What! You think we would accept this mission!? You want us to assist you on taking the ten zodiac keys!? No way!" Sting immediately declined upon hearing what the mission was about. They came here because the request specifically asked for two dragon slayers and a celestial mage with the job labelled as "Protect the villagers". _

_Knowing that the Elysian Village was a historical and cultural center for celestial wizards, he had accepted the mission._

_However, he didn't expect that the request was about protecting the villagers from Natsu and the others who would likely rampage as they arrest the Celestial mage of Fairy Tail who they deduced would interfere in the final match._

_Bahram sighed. "Oh well, so much for the rival guild of Fiore's number one. I guessed they were too much for you to handle," he folded his hands under his chin and looked at them._

"_You think I would fall for that? I don't care what you think, I won't help you. Go ask someone else, though I doubt you could stop them, anyway" he smirked as he looked down on the mayor who was trying to provoke him._

_The mayor leaned back on his chair. "That is the point, mister. Oh, I don't really much care at how much they havoc. In fact, it's an advantage. For us, that is. There will be more evidences against miss Heartfilia that the Royal Guards and the Council won't be able to deny."_

_Sting glared at them. "I'm warning you now. Don't mess with Fairy Tail, or you'll regret it"._

"_As you sure did," Bahram replied just as kind._

_Sting turned to leave when Rohini spoke. "The offer still stands, you know. The reward . . . and of course, Miss Yukino can have and own one of the golden keys we will have. Her own choice."_

"_I don't need any new keys, Mr. Haspel" Yukino said politely, though not gently._

_When they got out Sting began cursing at the mayor. Yukino was worried, and Rogue was deep in thought. He turned to Yukino. "I don't get it. Even if they confiscate the keys, that won't severe the contract right? I don't think they have the power to do that"._

_Yukino shook her head. "No, they can't. But if Lucy-sama was arrested and jailed for a proven crime, the contract will be severed. Celestial summoning revolves around laws and contracts. That's why your reputation to be able to summon should be good. Being _proven_ as a law breaker makes you lose your rights as a Celestial mage. You won't be able to summon them again"._

_The twin dragons' eyes widened along with their exceed partners. "What the heck!? It's that serious!?"_

"_A-Ah, but Frosch thinks that they won't be jailed because the King owes them a lot. They did save the kingdom after all" the frog cat told them. Sting's partner, Lector, was surprised yet pleased. "Oh, Frosch! You're saying something intelligent!"_

_Yukino shook her head. "No, even with their connections, that won't be enough. Even though it doesn't look like it, being a small town and all, Elysian village was one of the major tourist spots here in Fiore. This place is an important cultural site. They hold large stocks on other businesses and one of the giants that controls a part of the economy and trade. They are in the position where the Kingdom wouldn't be able to brush them off – especially, if the charges are really Fairy Tail's fault. They have lots of enemies among the council and they did have bad reputation – "_

"_Alright! I get it! So Fairy Tail's in trouble" Sting interrupted her long explanation. "What do we do? Warn them right? Let's find them!"_

_She nodded. "Yeah, it's better if I do it. Sting, Rogue, watch the officials in here and see if they do something weird. Also, make sure that Natsu and the others won't harm any officials or anyone in particular. Even if Lucy didn't do anything, she will still be blamed for bringing them here and being their comrade if anything were to happen."_

"_Oi! You want us to guard them!? Wait – !" Sting told her but she already ran across the streets, disappearing among the crowd._

_That was the last time they saw Yukino._

* * *

"Leo . . ." Lucy said with a voice that broke no argument. Her bangs cast low, shadowing her facial expression. Leo let go of her.

She gritted her teeth and took out her golden key. "SCORPIO!"

From her key, a portal opened, letting the spirit pass through. Scorpio went out of the gate. His hair was half red and half white. Aside from his torso, which was left bare, he was dressed in red. His scorpion tail moved ready to attack. Lucy doesn't need to say it aloud. Just her thoughts were enough for him to know what she wanted.

Scorpio gets down on his four limbs, in a stance which is reminiscent of a real scorpion's, and then points his scorpion-like stinger at the opponents.

"SAND BUSTER!"

A large and powerful sand tornado formed at the center of the pit. The audience screamed as they were thrown off their seats. Only a few were able to hold their ground.

Those people in the top box were protected when Jorya threw a magic card. "Barrier!" she activated it, creating a shield that protected them from the attack.

Bahram stood up.

"Who dares halt the game?"

The cloud of dust slowly dissipated, revealing the celestial mage with golden hair and hazel eyes. Her special whip from the celestial realm was out. She glared at the people at the top box.

"I call for a stop on this madness" Lucy said with seriousness.

Bahram laughed. "_Madness_? It is you who is mad. How dare you inflict damage on my citizens? Most of all you interrupted our Holy Ritual. You broke the law. You have no right to be a celestial mage. Guards! Arrest this woman!"

Lucy slashed her whip in front of her, stopping everyone and focusing their attention to her. "Law? You think you have the right to say that considering what you've done?" Her voice was full of spite.

Her hazel eyes were blazing with anger. She yelled at the people at the top, all for everyone to hear.

"I don't recognize your laws! As a Celestial mage . . . I demand a duel! I challenge you on a celestial battle!"

* * *

. . . * . . .

* * *

End of chapter :D

A battle between Celestial Mages! How would the Haspel Family respond to this challenge? What happened to Yukino? Most importantly, the prophecy of Carla. The match that would decide the fate of the Spirits and mages. All of this was just a beginning that would be connected on a larger event that would affect the world.

.

By the way, this story is just a head cannon of mine (how I hope celestial spirits work). For me, what I like about Fairy Tail and Lucy was these plane of magic that is very interesting (but sadly undeveloped/ seemingly weak compared to Dragon Slayer magic and other kinds of magic). This has a lot of potential and thankfully, Mashima seemed to be working on this one, with all the summoning of CSK and Star dress :D

Anyway, I love how everything in this story could fit on the current story line (the ending at the very least). Zeref and the mention of the story of bringing the world to the end. The concept of death and rebirth. Multi-verse. How on every world, Lucy always seemed to be with Fairy Tail even when she died. Hehe. It all ties up in this story.

Thanks everyone for those who reviewed, followed and favorite my story. It really motivates me, honestly :D


	8. Verse 8: Unfavorable Conditions

Hello everyone!

Sorry for the late update. School started now, so I'll have less time writing. I wasn't able to post since I don't know where to cut. I want to include the fight but I guess that goes to the next chapter.

Thank you for everyone who reviewed, followed and put this story on their favorite list! Really thank you!

Enjoy!

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. . *. O. * . .

* * *

Verse VIII  
**Unfavorable Conditions**

"I don't recognize your laws! As a Celestial mage . . . I demand a duel! I challenge you on a celestial battle!"

She yelled at the people at the top. Her hazel eyes were blazing with anger.

The cloaked girl could only look at her, her expression unknown as her eyes were shadowed by her bangs. She looked down a bit, was this good or bad?

The odds were against the princess, especially when _she_ was the one who asked for a duel which would simply make the challenged party in the position to demand. No doubt, these people were cunning and deceptive enough to take advantage of this.

The princess being the kind, caring, and honest girl that she was (to the point of naivety) would not be able to look away and charged-on ahead. No matter how one-sided the battle was, she would fight it if it meant the safety of those precious to her. The love she held for Spirits couldn't be rivalled by anyone else.

The conditions were bad, but at the same time the little girl couldn't help but also admire how she was the same to the _very_ core even at a different world. While it was a huge disadvantage, as the people of this village were clearly using her kindness against her, it also was her driving strength. It was her power. The bond that she has with her Spirits . . . the love she bear for all of them was what made her strong.

"Really . . . you haven't changed a bit. Have you?" she couldn't help but smile a bit. Nonetheless, there's no changing of the fact.

She was at unfavourable odds.

.

* * *

Bahram regarded her. Behind the cold and straight expression on his face, he was grinning broadly.

Shishio's blue eyes widened a bit. He had been watching silently in the shadows since the beginning. While everything was according to plan so far, this sudden challenge was unexpected.

Jorya was angered at her. "You? A lowly celestial mage who doesn't even know a Zodiac Spirit's true strength, dare challenge my grandfather?"

Her father put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "Hush, Jorya. She does hold ten of the golden keys, no matter how weakly she managed it. Father seems interested on what she wanted to say before her impending doom" Rohini told her.

.

* * *

Natsu was barely holding his anger. Not only did they make her cry, they _dare_ insult her? As far as he know, they were the ones who doesn't know how to be a proper celestial mage. Lucy was easily the best of them all, they don't even _compare_ to her. He would have already punched someone if only this Gemini Lucy didn't stop him.

In a way, Lucy's voice was able to somehow calm him on his rage.

"Natsu-sama, Gray-sama, Erza-sama, please . . . Listen to me, Lucy-sama had given me a message to deliver."

She looked at them with her hazel eyes.

"'Leave this fight to me' . . . that's what she said."

.

* * *

Looking at how Gray, Erza, and Natsu, who was shaking with anger, turned to look at her, Lucy knew that they had listened to her request. They all got that look in their faces as if they want to protest though.

Surprisingly, it was Gray who understood her feelings first. She had expected it to be the level-headed Erza, due to the two males' protective nature. He was still frowning as he closed his eyes to calm himself, then he sighed as if to resign to her wish. Frost mingling with the cold night air, he looked at her and crossed his arms. _'Don't dare lose'_ she understood what the gesture meant.

Erza understandably wants to argue but Gray put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. Her shoulders sagged in resignation. Fierce brown eyes looked worriedly at her, but after seeing Lucy's determination, she nodded. She gave her a look that says they were on her back which reassured her.

However, Natsu – as expected of the hot-blooded pyromaniac – doesn't want to give in. His eyebrows were knit in frustration as he looked at her ready to protest.

Which is why she decided to speak first.

"Natsu, this is _my_ battle!" she shouted, addressing her partner who was as (if not much more) stubborn as her. "I'll show everyone what a celestial mage should be!" she told him.

Natsu doesn't really have a proper argument with that. Even _he_ has battles that he wants to fight alone. One of the many examples was with the twin dragon slayers of Sabertooth where he sent Gajeel out of the ring so he could fight Sting and Rogue alone. This was understandably Lucy's business with the other celestial mages. However, he doesn't like this one bit.

"Idiot! We could pulverize them together! We're a team, remember?" he yelled at her.

While one could call Natsu a hypocrite for saying this, he does have a point. He instinctively got the feeling that the tides of battle would be against her.

Lucy was strong, yes, but he doesn't want the situation where he won't be able to do anything while he helplessly watched her in a bind. He remembered her fight with Minerva and the voodoo-user (he had forgotten his name). Luckily, he was able to do something with the voodoo doll by using it to their advantage. The fact that they stomped defeated him by "Lucy Fire" and how he admired her when she stated that she wants to be with everyone despite being beaten up, had made it at least a fond memory.

However, remembering her fight with Minerva . . . watching her got beaten up until the timer ends . . . every second was such a torture for him that he jumped in as soon as he could. He doesn't want to be put on that situation again.

The determination in her eyes was making his own will waver (just a tiny bit) though. He knew that expression meant business.

"Natsu . . ." she called as she looked up at him.

"You trust me, right?" she smiled at him.

. . . Great. She threw the magic word. Complete with that bright smile of hers, Natsu knew he lost the argument. Without realizing it, his eyes widened a bit and softened at her smile. He doesn't have any other words to say, saying anything else otherwise would mean that he doesn't trust her which was never true.

And here he thought that using the word "team" would make her agree with him. Why was Lucy so good with this kind of arguments?

Bahram had interrupted them. "Well, whether you wanted to or not, she had already uttered the words. The final decision is ours to accept and she couldn't back out unless we say 'no'."

"Lucy-sama, are you sure of this? A duel means abiding yourself to a contract. You cannot escape it no matter what" Shishio suddenly stepped up and cautioned her. Truth be told, even if they tried to arrest her, the contract won't break yet until she was trialled and judged by a recognized authority that would mark her as a law breaker.

There were actually other choices for her to pick.

The first one was to turn a blind eye and walk away. With her personality, she would never choose this even if this was the safest path for her and her contract with her spirits. She would surely try to do something about it. This was why her Spirits tried so hard to hide this fact from her, they'd rather have her be ignorant of this than put her in danger.

She could still do that now though, if she hadn't asked for a duel. They have not done any real damage yet. While Bahram may still say and insist that they interrupted the middle of the Tournament and there was another battle after the first one. They could argue it in court that she didn't interrupt the battle but the rest time between battles only. There was a higher chance that she won't be jailed and only pay a pardon as there was no real harm done.

The second one was what everyone else had expected her to take. To suddenly interrupt the match and beat them up as their self-imposed justice, this may be done by her herself, either of her team, or both of them.

While this may give self-satisfaction that they beat up the bad guys, this doesn't change the fact that they harmed _lawful_ and _innocent_ civilians (Spirit pit-fight wasn't really against the law as Spirits were tools of magic and were never considered as people in the first place). Obviously, they would be charged for a crime and authorities will try to arrest them. In which case she could either take one of these choices:

One, she could beat them all up and ran away from authorities. Live her life in hiding and secret identities as the people (especially those who were after her keys) hunt her down.

Two, beat all these people until they were too traumatized that they won't be able to speak or point a finger. With the capabilities of her team, this would be easy. Probably the best option for the rest of them, though there may be some families who would wonder what happened and investigate. In which case, it would be better to obliterate the village as a whole to not revert it back to option one. The only problem with this was that it was too villainous for Fairy Tail.

The third one was to demonstrate their powers and what they could do and threaten them to never come near them again. This would be the better option if not for the fact that Bahram won't be threatened so easily unless they revert to option two. They could not threaten them for long.

First of all, unlike the other small fries Fairy Gang had kicked and beaten up, the Haspel family has strong connections with the council. They hold a large part of trade and therefore, the economy of the country. They have the power to stop other businesses on sending requests to Fairy Tail. This would be easy as Fairy Tail has a notorious reputation, many enemies and rivals, and they were the lowest ranked guild for the past seven years. In short, this option has a lower chance of actually working and may backfire.

While all these option has its own consequences, this doesn't change the fact that there was a higher chance that her contract with Spirits won't be broken. Lucy Heartfilia had understood this very well. She knew the possible scenarios even before she spoke. She understood the position she was in even while her mind was filled with the horror she watched with her own eyes.

To turn a blind eye or fight and be labelled as a criminal?

These were the two options given to her. Both leave a bitter after-taste and a dark spot she won't be able to remove for the days to come. Both would make a stain on her pride as a celestial mage. Both options that would never give her what she _really_ wanted.

That was why she chose a third option.

_A celestial duel._

No one had expected that she would ask for a duel. For one, it wasn't in her personality to stake her Spirits as a bet. She would rather die than that to happen. Actually, the Elysian villagers had planned to duel her for the Zodiac Keys until Aquila had informed them of her battle with Angel in which she made an agreement to free a Zodiac Key, Aries, in exchange for her life. A celestial spirit she never met until that time, yet she was willing to die for it. Not to mention, she was willing to give anything that she have, _aside_ from her keys.

This news had received different reactions from other celestial mages. It had made her a laughing stock on the Elysian villagers, while others sneered at the fact that she was such a drama queen. There were others too though, who thought her selflessness was really admirable, while some thought that it was really stupid (who would die for an immortal being?). Mix reactions were given, but this hadn't change the fact of what she'd done.

This had been the reason why they have to go in such a round-about way of forcing the keys out of her.

A celestial duel to settle everything, this was actually better for the both sides.

Lucy had decided that this was her only option if she wanted to get through the situation she was in. The problem was while this would let her have more freedom to demand what she truly desired it would also cut-off any of her escape routes if she failed (a situation that troubles the mayor and would rather avoid). The gamble was high and even she realized how disadvantageous her position was. Aside from the initial conditions if she won, the other conditions would be determined by the person that was challenged.

Still, this was the only way . . .

. . . if she wanted to ensure the safety of everyone.

.

* * *

"Shut your mouth, Shishio. This is no time for you to speak up" Rohini warned the young man.

Bahram brush his beard, regarding her. "A celestial battle, huh? Surely, you are aware that this means that we will have all of your keys if you lose," he looked at her in thought.

"Who on their right minds would hand over their keys to people like you?" Lucy said.

Bahram's eyes narrowed. "You expect us to stake our keys while you don't? . . . Or rather, what are you planning to stake? Surely, you won't give away your life. That is useless and has no meaning to us. Not to mention, that would be against the law. The only one worth to fight for is your Zodiac Keys."

"Why, are your celestial battles only about staking keys? Spirits are people! They're not objects to bet on!" she yelled at them.

Bahram looked down on her. "Then what are you suggesting, young one? We have no interest aside from your keys."

She smirked at him. "You still didn't get it? I've told you already. I'm against your laws, practice and ideals. The one at stake in this battle would not be the Spirits, keys, or any contracts. The one were fighting for were our own pride as a Celestial Mage!"

The mayor paused, finally understanding where she was getting at. Rohini was flabbergasted at her audaciousness. Jorya was furious. Erza kept a straight face though she couldn't help but worry, she still came to terms with it though. Gray furrowed his eyebrows.

Natsu frowned, while he still hadn't fully comprehended the whole impact of those words, he knew something was wrong – no, _dangerous_, with what she had said.

Apparently, he wasn't the only one who had not fully understood.

"Hah? And how and why should we care for your pride? That's just a feeling. It has no use to us. We want keys!"

Nesh, who survived Scorpio's attacks thanks to Orion who saved him, looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"Nesh. . . You idiot. Just shut your mouth if you don't know what you're talking about" Jorya snapped at him, annoyed at his own ignorance.

"What!? You-" Nesh was about to retort back but Rohini Haspel held up his hand to silence him. He slightly glared at the boy before looking back at the blonde challenger.

"Enough. We see your point, Lucy Heartfilia. But let me clarify this for the sake of my disciple, you are saying that whoever lose in this match has to quit on being a mage?"

Natsu's eyes widened finally catching on. He turned to look at his other teammates who were looking down with eyes closed. Why weren't they protesting? Quiting being a mage as a whole when she was a member of Fairy Tail, a mage guild . . . that would mean that she won't be able to take request . . . go to missions together . . . or stay as partners . . .

Doesn't that mean that she would quit on Fairy Tail too?

Natsu's fist clenched as the horrible thought occurred to him. No, that can't be. He won't allow it to happen.

"_You trust me, right?"_

Her words echoed in his head as if to remind him. He was able to calm his fear as he remembered. Lucy _is_ strong. She won't lose, no matter what. Not on this battle.

"What? So you're saying it was just her flamboyant way of saying to hand over her keys right? Well, we are only interested in the ten zodiacs but having a few silver ones is great too." Nesh said.

"It's a matter of pride, Nesh. Am I right?" Bahram turned to look back at the blonde.

"The one at stake would be our pride and our principles. I will quit being a celestial mage if I lose. But if I win, I will make you bow down and apologize to all the Spirits."

"Wait, Lucy-sama! You don't have to be harsh. Think this through. You cannot go back and own any keys if you quit on being a celestial mage. But if you bet just some zodiac keys, you can gain them back later. Your silver keys won't be at stake either. If you continue this though, you won't be able to summon them ever again!"

Shishio yelled at her, hoping to drive the point at her. There's too much at risk if she lost. Rohini and Jorya couldn't agree much more_. 'Had she lost her mind?'_ these thoughts were running on the heads of most mages but this is to their advantage so they wouldn't speak against this. After all, that would make sure that Lucy Heartfilia won't return to their lives to regain the keys.

The said girl only smiled as she turned to her Zodiac Spirits who remained silent after her declaration. While they acted on their own and tried their best earlier to get her away from this situation, they stood by her side in support as she had made her own decision.

They would always stay by her side, as her spirits – _no, as her friends_ – and would always do so, no matter how crazy or dangerous the circumstances were. They would always respect her decisions and follow her lead.

_Such is the bond between a Spirit and its Master. . ._

_Such is the relationship they carry. . ._

_Such is their Golden Contract that won't be broken no matter what_.

She has trust in them no matter what, and this, in turn, was reciprocated by them. This was why she had come to this decision with courage in her heart.

"This is the only way for me. Any of the other choices are against my belief. Spirits are people. They have their own will, feelings, and freedom. I won't _ever_ let anyone treat them as objects or slaves for you to play with."

She looked at Shishio with determined eyes as she continued her reply.

"If I do as you say, it'll be like acknowledging that what you're doing is alright. I . . . I'd rather die than that to happen. If I won't be able to put a stop to this horrible ways of treating my friends then . . . I wouldn't be able to go on being a Celestial mage anymore. "

She turned her fierce gaze to everyone on the stadium. The stubbornness and pride reflected on her bright hazel eyes.

Ignoring the heartless ones, they all felt it. The strong and bright aura that she was illuminating, they felt the soft tugging at their hearts and its warmth that carry on to their souls.

"You do realize that what you're risking everything for is to fight one man only, right? Not all the villagers here would share the same sentiments." Shishio reminded her.

"He's the head of this village. He would be fighting as a representative of the whole village. If they don't like it, I would fight each and everyone on a one-on-one fight" she told him.

Bahram brushed his beard regarding her. "Shishio, you're over-stepping your boundaries. Why are you trying to advice against us? Oh well, I've always thought you were fishy. Aquila did tell me not to trust you."

Shishio only looked at Bahram and shrugged. "Is that so? Well, I did tell you I have my own objectives when I came here."

Rohini's eyes narrowed at his insolence.

"Your objectives are none of my concern for a moment. I'll deal with you later. Interfere no longer," Bahram gave him a dark look as the young man only smiled. He then turned back on his challenger.

"As for the conditions of duel, that would work. But, isn't that more favourable for you? With the zodiac keys, our silver keys would stand no chance against you. For a duel to start, the conditions must first be labelled as equal for both parties."

Lucy furrowed her brows deeper, she had expected this. Of course, Bahram would set conditions that would be more preferable to them and she won't be able to deny whatever he said unless she wants the duel to be off.

"The battle would be fought by my granddaughter, Jorya and her friends" said Bahram as Wendel and Nesh stepped up, grinning.

"You mean you want a three-on-one!? You call that a duel? Isn't that more unfair for her!?" Natsu had immediately objected.

He looked at the pink-haired boy. "If that's the case, then I and my son won't fight. My granddaughter and her friends would do it in our place and the village as a whole. My authority has the power to do that.

"In any case, Jorya only had two of the weakest silver keys our household have as the rest are with Rohini and I. She is the only one among this people who could dual summon, and this will drain her immediately so she couldn't use it under normal circumstances. Compare that to your friend who could triple summon in a fight, a three on three with the Spirits sounds fair enough, right?"

He returned his attention to the blonde summoner at the middle of the pit. "It's fine. I accept the conditions of the duel."

"And so do I," Bahram replied in kind, the mutual agreement was the sign for the duel to start.

Jorya, Nesh, and Wendel had jumped down to the pit and faced their one opponent who stood there ready with her keys as Leo and Scorpio stood in front of her in a battle stance.

"As the stars cross the sky of night, shall bring the keys to strike and fight. Whoever is the just and might, shall win this battle by all rights."

As soon as Bahram finished the recitation, a blast of light shot up from his staff, striking across the night sky and blast of in mid-air like firework.

The start of battle.

"Open Gate of the Chained Lady! Andromeda!"

"Orion, strike!"

"Open thy . . . Gate of the Wolf, Lupus!"

And so, two of the Spirits that they met earlier had been summoned and they begin to clash in battle.

Orion had faced off against Scorpio, due to the two being long- and mid-range fighters.

Leo faced off with Lupus who had a deadly jaw-strength.

And Andromeda faced of f against Lucy.

Everyone could only watch for the outcome of this match.

* * *

. . . * . . .

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End of Chapter.

Leave a review behind! :D


	9. Verse 9: Turning Tides of Battle

Hello everyone!

I had forgot but I was actually planning to do a short bio for the Celestial Spirits that I created. This was supposed to be given for each chapter but I guess I could also just put two spirits together.

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**Spirits Bio:**

* * *

**Andromeda** – Black haired lady with a small part of her bangs pinned to the side, showing her forehead. She has sharp nose and almond-shape black eyes. She wears a beat up and torn white dress and have shackles on her wrists, ankles, and neck with long iron chains connected to the belt of chains on her waist.

Power: She could control and summon chains to her will.

Likes: _Suffering of human mages, heroes, fellow spirits especially Lepus_

Dislikes: _humans (celestial mages in general), traps, dungeons, prisons, sea_

Bio: _Having the same owner, she treats Lepus like a little brother. She acts as mentor to him. She was actually Jorya's second spirit. She had a general hate for all humanity, especially celestial mages due to what she had experienced with them though she still follows the contract due to being a celestial spirit. She's also an aberrant spirit due to her tendency to rebel at her master's orders. It was said that she started hating humanity due to a horrible experience with a celestial mage, she had grown cynical about them._

**-:-**

**Aquila **– a half-bird, half-man with neatly combed brown hair and unruly white bangs that looked wind-swept. He has sharp mismatched eyes of gold and red similar to an eagle's. He had brown wings on his arms and bird's claws for feet.

Power: His eyes could scan anyone for information and see through lies. He has "perfect memory" and never forgets.

Likes: _knowledge, books, interesting and curious phenomena, observing, research, secrets, flying, sky_

Dislikes: _deception, thunderstorm, his bangs_

Bio: _He specializes in information gathering and Bahram's favourite spirit key. He's usually quiet, preferring to observe and listen. He'll answer any questions you asked though, unless he was forbidden to. He hates thunderstorms due to being strike by lightning once when he was flying to deliver a message. He actually grew fear of thunder and lightning though he doesn't want to admit it. It was actually in his contract not to summon him when there's thunderstorm. His neutral to humans and views them with respect. He would perform any orders of his master due to being a celestial spirit. His very organized to the point you think he has OCD, he actually hates his bangs because it remains wild and unruly no matter how many times he tried to comb it. _

-:-

So here is the bio of two of the Spirits! Hmm, Aquila's bio was supposedly a secret. It almost ruined the serious and cool image he had! Andromeda's past had something to do with one of the most deplorable things the Elysian villagers do.

* * *

. . *. O. * . .

* * *

**Verse IX  
Turning Tides of Battle**

Orion, Lupus, and Andromeda against Scorpio, Leo, and Lucy  
One could only watch for the outcome of this match.

Natsu and the others watched with wide eyes at the battle that was unfolding.

It wasn't because the tides of battle were against them, rather, it was the other way around. Lucy was _pressing_ them. Natsu cheered loudly for her as she battled against the straw-haired pigtailed girl and the chained lady.

Counting the Spirits, the battle was a six on three while it would be three to one if you just considered the mages. No doubt, it would seem like the battle was unfair and against Lucy but she and her Spirits were strong enough to be able to keep fighting. Though you could argue that the Elysian's villagers weren't really fighting aside from providing magic-support for their Spirits. So in a way, it _was_ a fair battle.

They were actually surprised how right Bahram was when he said that a one-on-one would be unfair for them.

Heck, even with three celestial mages, she was _still_ winning. Maybe she could hold two or more. Bahram must be regretting it now when he thought three mages were enough to defeat her.

The Elysian's champions were holding on their own. They have good synchronization with each other but that was nothing compared to how Lucy was coordinating her Spirits. She was using Scorpio's sand storm to keep away her enemies, as she charged and fought the mages while Leo was providing support and back-up.

Orion had leap at the concentrated ray of sand that Scorpio had shoot from his red tail with "Antares" tattooed on it. In mid air, he pulled out his rifle and shot it at him. Scorpio dodged the attack but there was a second attack where a trap-net flew down from above. He blew it away with his sand along with the Hunter.

Lucy had been fighting with Fleuve d'étoiles. Letting out her whip she poured a bit of her magic energy in. Her magic poured out in materialized form from the handle, forming in a fluid form similar to a river that shimmers with star lights.

Right now, two Spirits were draining her energy. Maintaining the amount to be drained into its most efficiency was a feat worthy of praise.

Leo blasted off the chains that had been directed at Lucy. "Oi, it's rude to stab at people's back you know?" he commented at the lady with chains shackled at her wrists, ankles and neck.

"Tsk" she glared at him as she retracted her chains and sprouted it next to Jorya's feet to deflect the whip of Eridanus that would have whipped her side. She sent another chain with an iron ball at its end and tried to crush her with it. Lucy swiftly dodged from it, however, in the process she had stepped on a very thin string.

"Oh no!" she realized what she had stepped on. An arrow flew seemingly out of nowhere, aiming for the head of its prey. But Scorpio had anticipated this and blew it away with his sand storm. The wind pressure from the attack had almost blown away even the opponent's masters if it weren't for Andromeda's chains that had wrapped itself on their waists and to the ground. Scorpio hadn't anticipated Lupus to leap and attack his behind though.

"Scorpio!" Lucy called out of worried as she rushed to his rescue. Leo threw a Regulus Punch on the great wolf as it tried to snap the Scorpion between its huge sharp jaws. It howled in pain and backed away.

Lucy threw her whip and had it tied to Orion's shotgun. She pulled, taking it away from his grasp and crashed it in the ground.

Bahram watched coldly. He had not expected that she would be _this_ strong. He sent out those three in an expectation that they could at least drive her into the corner but as it turned out. The balance of battle was just right though slightly tilting to the challenger's favour.

However, he did notice that there was a strange quirk with the battle style of this young mage. She was directing her attacks straight to the three celestial mages that were her opponents. She could have ended this faster if she had just injured the Spirits to the point that they'll be useless in battle and sent back to the Spirit Realm. Doing that would force the mages to summon the rest of their Spirits until they ran out of keys to summon. Not to mention, the amount of magic needed for summoning was much greater than maintaining them. That way the mages would immediately drain their magic reserves.

Instead of that, she was attacking the mages themselves that was the source and gateway for the Spirits. It was as if she wanted to avoid harming the Spirits as much as possible.

He smiled inside.

_That weakness of her will bite her back in the end._

"Hah, just as the rumors said. You do fight in the frontlines like some pawn with a whip at your hand" Jorya sneered at her, though she briefly eyed the whip that came from Eridanus, Fleuve d'étoiles.

"Why, thank you. I don't sit idly behind and watch others fight like some certain cowards" she told her, daring her to come and fight directly. She remembered the horrifying fight earlier where no one tried to do anything aside from her and her friends.

"What did you say!? We're not cowards! Generals don't fight in front like some idiot!"

"What? I didn't say any name. Did it hit you?" she told her as she dashed forward to the girl.

"Why you . . . Andromeda!" Jorya gritted her teeth as she yelled the order.

From the ground, chains sprouted and strike at her legs as they try to entangle her foot. Lucy was able to dodge by moving sideways but the change in momentum had nearly caused her to lose her balance. She had barely able to dodge an iron ball that struck her downwards.

But really, Lucy was having a hard time fighting. Those chains were much more dangerous and fluid that she couldn't deflect it with her own whip. Even if she tried to tie the chains together, the ends would just grow longer and aim for her.

The chains move like it has its own life that would bind you if you stay still. But that was only one of the things that make it dangerous. Not only those cold hard iron chains would whip you, the iron nails and heavy balls at the end of which were one deadly weapon that would crush and pierce you if you're not careful.

The only way out would be to attack the wielder of the chains. She glanced at the chained-maiden with long black hair and dull dark eyes. No. There's no way that she would attack her now when she know they had been through so much pain already. She just couldn't bring herself to.

So she aimed for Jorya instead, trying to get through the chains whipping about as if to protect the one at the center. Her eyes widened as she realized that Jorya was actually behind Andromeda, who was moving to face in the direction she was standing at like some shield.

"Leo! Scorpio!" she called. She doesn't need to give clear orders for them to understand what she meant. Right now, Leo was keeping Lupus at bay while Scorpio was being hard-pressed with Orion due to the traps set around the whole pit. He was making sure that Lucy wouldn't step on any.

Jorya was laughing gleefully. "Hah! You talk like your some badass but you really aren't much of a fighter aren't you? You fight like Lepus" she told her as she sneered.

Lucy's sweat-dropped a bit. "Since when did I talk like some badass?"

Scorpio and Leo acted upon her call.

"Sand Mist"

Scorpio used his Antares to blow sand at the ground in a puff of smoke, creating a smoke screen.

"What?" Andromeda and Jorya cough and covered their face with their arms. They heard Wendel screamed in the direction where there was a sudden flash of light. A thud indicating he had fallen on the ground after receiving an upper-cut.

Another yell came from Nesh.

"Andromeda!" _guard me_, she ordered her spirit who complied.

"Chain Prison!" yelled Andromeda, left with no choice she retracted her chains so that it surrounds her like a bird cage, protecting her. What she hadn't anticipated was that Lucy held unto one of the chains when she retracted it, letting her being carried closer. She let go before Andromeda could whip the chain she's holding to the ground. She landed to the side.

Andromeda turned, but Lucy was faster. She looped the end of Eridanus's whip around her ankle and pulled. Making her lost her balance and fall to the ground. Without giving a chance for counter, she then jumped and tried to Lucy-kick Jorya.

Only to kick an invisible wall of air.

"What!?" Lucy's eyes widened.

"Tsk. You're really useless at guarding, Andromeda. Making me use my cards" Jorya cursed as she held out cards that aren't so different from Cana's.

"Could you be . . . a card-user!?" Lucy was shocked as she jumped away before they strike a counter at her. She was surprised. Normally, a mage forms his magic base on the first type of magic he learned. Your body and spirit would mold accordingly to the magic you were using, usually making you incompatible with the other types.

Jorya sneered. "You guessed that right. I'm a double-user. I can use both Card-magic and Celestial summoning. Surprised? They weren't much different since they were both holder-type magic."

Even so, that was rare. While normally, mages could use two or more magic (like Mira who uses both transformation and take-over magic), the same couldn't be said for Celestial summoners.

That was because they have a different body and spirit composition to other mages.

Magic would form as the materialization of your own spirit connecting with the nature's spirit's flow. The spirit of mages usually has an element of nature they were affiliated with and that would usually be their main type of magic. Their body would draw that element of nature into them and mix it with their own so that they could draw it out and bend it to their will.

Take Natsu for example, his main element was fire and he have a special way of taking magic energy, being a slayer. He could also regain magic by _eating_ them and incorporate it with his own magic. There was also the natural way which was just absorbing the ethernano in nature. The point was that he could produce fire on his own by concentrating the spirit flow of nature and his own spirit flow to a center point (like his fist, leg or throat).

The same can't be said for Celestial mages.

For Celestial summoners, they were able to summon by using their own spirit energy (ethernano) to force the gates open. Their magic wasn't designed to draw in the nature's spirit flow; rather, it was designed to _draw it out_.

Their body was not made to draw in the nature's spirit flow and mix it with their own at a center point to form magic like normal mages. They just pour the ethernano their body had collected into the keys to force open the crack in spaces. Then after that, they have to continue pouring to keep it open. Their magic concentration was on the border of spaces. This made their body not adept at drawing in the spirit of nature and concentrating it at themselves which was a requirement for most magic in this world.*

Lucy looked at Jorya who was smirking at her. "If you can actually fight . . . Why do you keep hiding behind you spirit?"

"I'm not hiding! Generals don't fight in the front!" she yelled loudly, her straw-like pigtails rising up in anger. She held up another card with the label of "wind" and threw it on the ground.

A strong gale of wind blew at them, dispersing the sand smoke-screen from Scorpio. Wendel was unconscious with a large lump on his head. Nesh was carried in bridal-style by Orion who was dodging and deflecting Leo's attacks.

"Well good to see you're still fine. I thought you're out when you screamed like a girl" Jorya called at him.

"I didn't _scream_ like a girl!" snapped Nesh, his gray eyes flaring with anger. His face was beet red on the situation he was in. Apparently, his scream earlier was due to shock when Orion came from behind and suddenly carried him. They were able to dodged Leo's Regulus by a hair's breath.

Erza's eyes narrowed at the situation. Something was wrong – no, _odd_ – in this match. Jorya should have used her cards earlier. Why would she use it now?

Was it really for a last resort?

Her eyes darted to the Mayor who was holding his staff.

Her eyes widened.

_No . . . there is something more in this . . ._

The battle continued as Lucy fought off Jorya and Andromeda, Leo with Nesh and Orion, while Scorpio provided support on them.

Lucy was finding it hard as she tried to dodge Jorya's wind attacks and Andromeda's chains. She too, was finding it odd now.

"How can you use both card-magic and summoning at the same time!?" she asked finally as she jumped away from another wind strike and deflected a chain with her whip.

"I'm special! I'm a Haspel. I should be able to do at least this much" she stated with a smirk as she sent another gale at her.

"No. It's odd. You don't have much magic reserve left to use card-magic" she told her.

Her black eyes narrowed. "What are you implying? Are you saying I'm weak? You think you're the only one with lots of magic reserve? Hah! Don't get full of yourself. I'm better than you. I can use card-magic _and_ dual-summoning! You think you're the only one who could summon two Spirits at the same time?"

"What? That's impossible" based on what Lucy felt on her magic being low and the fact that she was using card magic, it's just not enough for her to maintain two spirits at the same time.

"I –" Jorya screamed as she raised her silver key.

"JORYA!" her father screamed. It wasn't wise to reveal all your cards at once.

However, it was Erza who first noticed. Thanks to her fake eye, she wasn't as much affected at the misdirection magic that was being casted by Ara so that they would focus only on Lucy. She was able to see that Bahram and Rohini were continuously supporting their team with "magicn regenerations" spells and buffs.

"YOU! I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU'RE NOT JOINING THE BATTLE!" Erza shouted as she charged to the mayor.

Suddenly, a wall of darkness erupted and blocked Erza's path. Everyone's eyes widened. Bahram glanced sideways to the person who casted the spell.

"Hmm. You sure are full of surprises. I thought you will continue to keep a low profile to the very end. I'm not sure whose side you are anymore" he told him casually.

"Ah really? Things got out of hand apparently. And besides, I already blew it over when I tried to talk her out of duel. For now, it wouldn't be wise to form any interruption in this match" Shishio said, his blue eyes had unreadable expression on them.

"Match? It should be over already. They were clearly cheating" Erza told him with a glare. _This man . . . awhile ago, he was clearly inconspicuous._

"Erza Scarlet, the young wise noble knight. You should have realized this already. No matter how dark they are, it still holds true that a celestial mage keeps their word. That's their nature. It's sly, but they did not cheat."

"What did you say!? This is screwed up! You're not playing fair!" Natsu yelled, lighting up both of his fists with fire. Thanks to Erza's shout, he got out of the enchantment and had drawn his attention in the exchange of Titania, mayor, and Shishio.

"Hmph. We only said that we're not going to fight. We can still support Jorya in this duel as a celestial mage" said Bahram, still retaining that proud superiority even though their playing dirty.

Gray stepped out too. "You must be really desperate to win."

"You young mages wouldn't understand. This is all for the greater good of the entirety of Celestial mages. If we don't get the central of power back, the Celestial summoning would be nothing more than a lost art of magic."

* * *

At the same time, the fight continued.

"Ha! What's wrong? Out of breath already?" Jorya taunted as she sent card after card.

Lucy wasn't really doing well now. She was slowly running out of magic energy.

_Lucy, I'm about to run out._

She broke out in cold sweat as she heard the warning from Scorpio. Scorpio's attacks were powerful and wide range but there's a limit on how much sand his Antares could produce. That was why she would usually use him for one attack only. She was already stretching the limit of their contract but she can't afford to lose him. Summoning a spirit takes a lot more magic than maintaining them.

'_I should have finished this earlier'_ she thought bitterly. But at that time, she couldn't find a way to knock out the mages without harming the Spirits. She thought she could just force a win by outlasting them with ethernano reserves. Earlier, she had naively judged that they don't have much ethernano but now, their energy was remaining constant, if not getting higher.

Where are they getting their magic from?

Lucy was clearly and slowly being in the disadvantage as time goes by. Not only was maintaining two spirits were draining her, the consecutive summoning of all her spirits yesterday to treat them still had left quite an impact on her magic reserves even though she regained some in her sleep.

She wasn't clearly in her peak condition.

At least, it wasn't the worst case scenario since Leo managed to convince her to just do a single summoning instead of dual consecutive. If she had done as she had originally planned, then her magic might've been half by now. He clearly saw the possibility that she'll get into a fight.

That fact still annoyed her. Her spirits shouldn't have kept this a secret from her. If they have told her earlier, she might've been able to prepare to fight. Still, she would just scold them for that later as she has to focus on winning.

'_Please hold out a little longer, Scorpio. For some reason, these people are not running out of magic'_ Lucy told him as she thought of the other options she could take. Her keys have different magic requirement to be summoned accordingly to their power.

She needed someone with power who could end the match quickly as possible.

Her first option was Aquarius, but there's no water in this pit. Besides, her magic requirement would quickly drain her.

Then Taurus and Capricorn, they just have half of summoning requirement than Aquarius. Sagittarius would be a better support against Orion though.

"Hah! What? Where did your ego go?" Jorya was sneering as she sent another wind cutter at her.

Then Lucy heard Erza shout.

"YOU! I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU'RE NOT JOINING THE BATTLE!" Erza shouted as she charged to the mayor.

Lucy's eyes locked back with Jorya, understanding now. "I see, so that was where you're getting your energy from. You sure are sly for a celestial mage" she told her.

There wasn't a hint of embarrassment at Jorya's face. She just shrugged. "Hmm. Well, we did agree that my family won't fight. Doesn't mean they can't support me though, got a problem with that?"

Lucy shrugged back too. "Well it's not like I'm expecting you to fight fairly in the first place" she told her as she dodged another wind attack. Then chains sprouted on the ground below her, she quickly jumped away from them but a chain caught her foot and she fell on her back.

"Lucy!"

Both her Spirits shouted out of concern.

_Chance!_ Jorya sent a tornado attack combined with the chains of Andromeda.

'_No!'_ Scorpio had no choice. He was trying to hold back to conserve energy and _also_ not hurt the others much as his master wished but with this . . .

_Protecting_ his master is the priority.

"Sand buster!" Scorpio yelled as he bent down to four limbs reminiscent of a scorpion. A tornado of sand was summoned, clashing with Jorya's own wind attack. The sheer rotating power would have blown everyone away.

Leo had to punch a hole into the ground and hid in the hollow to keep safe from the wind. Andromeda held her master and Orion from being blown away with her chains but even that had stretched the limits of the chain's endurance. The chains were being pulled off the ground.

Jorya gritted her teeth as she tried to hold onto her magic attack. Scorpio's sudden burst was unexpected and had caught her off guard. The force of his attack was pushing hers back. Stones, dust, and sharp winds cut through her skin and body. "So much power . . . is this the power of the Zodiac?"

Andromeda's eyes widened. "Scorpio! Aren't you pushing yourself too far?" she yelled at him. Right now, he must be straining his body for producing this much sand and power greater than the magic energy he's receiving. _All of this for a __**human**__ mage!?_

That was just absurd. She would understand Leo since that was his nature, but _Scorpio_? From what she remembered, he's among the Spirits who was only neutral and doesn't care to the human mages. He's the type who just go along with the contract. He would only perform what he needed to do like Aquila.

"Why?" she asked him. They were just being used. They were being fooled. Humans are fickle creatures who hide their darkness within. At least, they should be aware of that. They just thought she was different because she was using "affection" to make them follow her command.

Everyone was being fooled by her! Even Lepus . . .

Scorpio only smiled_. "That's because I have to. Our contracts are at stake and I can't afford to lose it. Don't say I said this, but I know my girlfriend will be sad if her contract breaks"_ he told her through telepathy. He was gritting his teeth from the strain his body was taking. _Not enough_, he thought. He pushed further, screaming to let out his power.

The sand and wind pressure he was producing got wider and stronger, being able to push and bounce back Jorya's attack. "No . . ." she tried to add power into her attack. She knew she'll be knocked out if that hit her, after all, she doesn't have super-human endurance.

Lucy's eyes widened. "SCORPIO!"

A golden spike suddenly sped through out of nowhere and pierced through Scorpio, right at his heart. He gasped from the pain, unabled to react. From the hole in his heart, he started to dissipate into golden dust.

"_Kuh. I'm sorry, Lucy . . ." _

"No! Scorpio!" she screamed as she tried to get up and ran to him. _It couldn't be . . . Where did the attack came from!?_

"Oh yeah! I beat a Zodiac with a silver key!" The voice came from the audience stand.

"No way! Ah! I should have been the one to finish him off!"

"Well, too late. I guess I'll go get the Lion."

"What? I want that key!"

"Master told us that we get the zodiac keys we defeat right? Let's just race for it."

Lucy's eyes widened. "What . . . ?"

Jorya smiled wryly. "You guys are late. You call yourselves back up?"

"Hey. We saved you there! You are in a serious pitch" said a bald man with double chin and thick black eyebrows and beard. Beside him was a woman with long golden hair and dark blue eyes and red lips, _Berenice_.

Shishio and team Natsu watched with wide eyes.

Up there, in the audience sit were the _entire_ Elysian villagers standing up with their summoned silver Spirits. All were smirking with bloodlust on their faces, ready to fight the single weakened girl at the center of the pit.

Bahram and Rohini Haspel smiled. "Good job, Ara" Rohini praised the blindfolded veiled woman. Thanks to her misdirection magic, they did not realize the plan they were hatching.

They initially had planned to gang up on the blonde summoner but as she entered the stage with a large tornado of sand most of the audiences were knocked out. They have to use misdirection as they revive all the other celestial mages and buff them.

Jorya insisted that she could defeat Lucy with just the three of them though, so they let her fight. But as it turned out, they have to resort to this.

Natsu clenched his fist so hard it began to shake. "_You underhanded bastards._ I thought there was supposed to be three only" he growled in low voice, his back on them as he was on the front watching Lucy.

"The conditions said that with the exception of us two, Jorya and her _friends_ will be the ones who fight. Did you really think there was _only_ two?"

"I see. You have the all the villagers join a fight against a single person. Then there's no complain if we joined in too." Erza said darkly, raising her sword once more.

"Unfortunately, you shouldn't butt in. This is a celestial duel. Outsiders are not allowed" Shishio told them.

"You think we really care about that now? Who cares about _your_ rules? You're gonna regret pulling tricks on us." Gray said as his eyes turned icy-cold and glared at them. The temperature turned to a freezing point, or was it just his cold look was so penetrating?

"Drop it. You do realized that you're reckless actions will lead to a default lost for Lucy, right? She already agreed in the contract. Whether you like it or not, all you could do is watch. If she loses, she has to quit being a mage." Shishio told them just as coldly. His hands casually moved to the backpocket of his cloak where he kept his scrolls and staves.

Lucy stood up with her keys ready. She knew that the tides of battle had turned against her now. If she have to win, she needed Aquarius who have long and wide battle range that could easily wipe out her enemies quickly. Her magic was running low.

But seeing all the villagers against her and have a magic regeneration support from somewhere. Lucy knew that her chance of winning was incredibly low.

BANG!

At the top of the box seat was a huge explosion of fire. Rocks and debris flew everywhere. Lucy's eyes widened. _No! Did Natsu . . ._

"**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**

A loud roar echoed through the whole stadium. So loud that it almost break their eardrums, everyone was forced to cover their ears and crouched down.

Lucy looked up and saw a huge hole at the top box, showing the clear night sky outside. The whole side of the wall was blown to smithereens. Natsu stood there his right arm raised. Everyone beside him could only look at him with wide eyes and alarm, but otherwise unharmed. His eyes were shadowed by his bangs. Panting after his loud roar as if to exhale the remaining frustration in his chest.

He turned his fierce charcoal eyes up at her.

"LUCY! I BELIEVE IN YOU! BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF EVERYONE OR ELSE _I'LL_ DO IT FOR YOU!"

Everyone could only stare as he yelled at her.

She blinked. But seeing the determined expression on his face, she felt somehow relieved. Natsu trusted her. She turned to look at her comrades who were giving the same expression. Their support for her was giving her courage.

She returned a solid, determined expression and a confident smile. "Uhn! You can count on me!" She let out her whip and tugged the rope, ready for battle.

Bahram stood there as he scrutinized the pink-haired boy. "So you ended up doing nothing and watching, huh?" he observed, rubbing his beard. "I thought you want to save your friend" he told him, adding salt to the wound. Either way was a win for them.

"Watching? Ah, I guess you should too" he replied in a low and dangerous voice, as he look down at the pit.

"You should watch your backs because either way, you'll experience losing at Fairy Tail" he continued, his eyes darting to the mastermind who had caused this.

Bahram, with his pride, stared back and didn't back down.

Natsu turned to face him. Unusually calm, the anger that seemed to explode inside him haven't died down but got concentrated in one point in his chest. He concentrated his mind on the trust and hope that she'll get through this challenge.

But at the back of Natsu's mind, there was a dark thought. If she don't get through this . . .

_**Then he'll make sure that every single one of this people that tormented her will be burned to ashes . . .**_

* * *

. . . * . . .

* * *

End of Chapter

NEXT CHAPTER! LUCY VS. THE ENTIRE VILLAGE! HOW WILL SHE WIN!?

* This idea of how Celestial summoning works was not out of place. That's just a headcanon formed when I read Natsu and Lucy learning transformation magic from Mira. The instruction was that to draw in the magic inside of you while you're concentrating on the face of the person you want to copy. Natsu easily managed to do it (even _Happy_! though only the head), while Lucy was really unable to (though of course, it could be that she was just unable to concentrate simply because of Natsu). Mira suggested that her magic was not complementary with transformation magic.

Then comes Lucy's training from Capricorn who made her train by meditating to concentrate and draw in magic energy. _She found this hard._

Then Angel who lost her own Celestial keys, could only learn _another summoning_ magic in which it cost her own life in each use. Not really handy. Even Capricorn's former master was using "_Human summoning_" magic. We have never seen celestial summoners use a different kind of magic aside from summoning.

So, I find it really fitting that summoners are just used to forcing out their magic energy to open the gates, which was different from normal mages who just mixes their own spirit with the spirit of nature.

**This really made Celestial summoning to be **_**a lot**_** of disadvantage**. Not only does it require a large amount of magic energy (ethernano). It will also make your body inept to other kinds of magic. Not to mention, it won't guarantee you to produce strong magic unlike the other types like take-over, re-quip, and_ Dragon-slayer_.

It's no wonder why there was a huge decline on the population of Celestial summoners. It's so disadvantageous for them and the result was usually not worth that much trouble.


	10. Verse 10: The Celestial's Feelings

Hello everyone!

**Here's the latest chapter! I've decided to update quite early for LRCN who requested it as he/she kept dropping off. Thanks for always reviewing. FairyWood too, for reviewing the previous chapter :D That made me so happy!  
**

**Again, thank you for everyone who reviewed, followed, and favorite this story on their list! Your support are the most welcome!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Spirits Bio:**

**Ara** – a woman veiled and dressed in white with dark blue crosses around the rim. The sleeves were open wide and reached up to her palms. She had a blindfold with two tubes underneath that connected to a bottle laced around her neck.

Power: _Uses misdirection magic and illusions. Discovered trait: Her tears refill the ethernano of the drinker with the expense of the summoner's ethernano._

Likes: _Drama, children_

Dislikes: _Crying, unfaithful people_

Bio: _She likes watching dramas but hates it when it's a tragedy. She is usually quick to cry but when Bahram discovered that her tears could refill ethernanos he made her cry everyday to the point she could produce no tears. At that point, he subjected her on numerous tortures to make her cry more. He put two tubes to suck at her tear glands so that all her tears won't be wasted and directed at the bottle._

_She continues to serve as it is her duty_.

**-:-**

**Orion** – a man with short-cropped dark brown hair to the point it seemed black, sharp nose, and eyes similar to a wolf's.

Power: _Hunt – he could summon weapons and traps. Though this seems limited only for hunting so cannons and sword aren't counted_.

Likes: _Hunting, animals, nature, moon_

Dislikes: _Noises, arrows_

Bio: _A celestial spirit that specializes on hunting. Although being a hunter himself, he doesn't use bow and arrow. Apparently he got a bad experience with them. He is the main and favorite celestial key of Nesh Gildamar. Their relationship is somewhat similar to a personal bodyguard or butler for an obnoxious and spoiled young master. He's pretty much always serious in everything he does and had a lot of respect on people and his surroundings. He especially loves being surrounded with nature, somewhat feeling safe._

_A legend has it that he fell in love with the goddess of the moon. They used to hunt together but unfortunately, her brother tricked her into shooting him with an arrow that killed him. The goddess mourned and turned him into a celestial spirit out of grief. If it's true, this might be the reason why he hated arrows and doesn't use it._

_Or maybe it was just a desire to prove to Sagittarius that guns are better as he got defeated by him on a shooting contest._

**-:-**

* * *

. . *. O. * . .

* * *

**Verse X  
The Celestial's Feelings**

_"A-Andromeda, w-what should I do?" the boy with bunny ears sniffled and cried at her._

_'So even you too, huh?' she couldn't help but think that bitterly. Nonetheless, she went to her knees so that she would be on eye-to-eye level with him. She placed her hands on his shoulders. "Lepus, I know this will be hard on you but you got to be strong. We are celestial spirits, remember that."_

_"I-I don't want to do what she says!" he wailed. _

_She smiled a bit for him and placed her hand on her head. "There, there. Me either. I don't want to be under humans. That's why . . . you've got to be strong, Lepus. Only the strong ones have freedom in this world."_

* * *

Everyone was surprised at the sudden outburst of the flame head.

But it had given the young celestial mage courage to fight even when she was at this huge disadvantage.

Right now, if she managed it wisely, she could still use three to four more summons. With that as the basis, she needed someone who could be versatile and do long range attacks at the same time.

If that was the case. . .

"Open! Gate of the maiden, Virgo!" she called out as she took out her key. The portal opened to reveal the short pink-haired woman wearing a maid costume and broken handcuffs.

"Open! Gate of the Archer, Sagittarius!"

His portal opened and revealed the tall, black haired lanky man who was wearing a horse mascot.

The Elysian villagers were floored.

"What the heck!? What happened to Sagittarius!?"

"You mean that lame looking guy is Sagittarius!?"

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"NNNNNOOOOOOO! What happened to _"The Centaur"_!?"

Truth be told, the Elysian villagers were quite anticipating to see the appearances of all the Zodiacs. After all, they have never really seen them and were excited to see what they looked like and abilities.

They thought that Sagittarius (just like Lucy's initial thoughts) would be a half-horse like a centaur: tall, dignified, mystical. Not _this_ . . .

"SHUT UP! DON'T INSULT SAGITTARIUS! Although I get what you're thinking," Lucy fumed at them, angry tick marks on her head. Sagittarius just sweat dropped.

"Tch. This just proves that you're not worthy to hold the Zodiacs! To turn Sagittarius to look like this!" Jorya complained, thinking that Lucy's lack of power as a celestial mage had turned Sagittarius to have a deformed appearance.

"Don't blame me! He's just like that!" Lucy retaliated.

"Argh! Enough of this! Attack!" Jorya commanded and the battle resumed.

Sagittarius aimed the arrows from the projectile attacks that came from other Spirits. Virgo dived below the ground and began digging, causing people to fall on pits. Loki had been deflecting attacks that the others couldn't defend, like Berenice's hair. Lucy had been taking and whipping out unguarded mages, all the while avoiding Andromeda's and Jorya's attacks.

They were overwhelming. Attacks come after the other, Lucy and her summoned Spirits couldn't dodged and deflect all of them. However, they at least manage to avoid their vital parts taking hit. The people they were fighting with were all refreshed with ethernano and experienced. Contrast that to a single near-drained celestial mage.

Lucy was already panting and almost out of breath from the magic drainage she was taking. Summoning three spirits at the same time was already taking its toll on her. It felt like the blood circulating in her body was being sucked out of her along with her strength. And unlike what she had expected, it would seem like that she could only summon one after all and not two more as her own magic was quickly being drawn out. She was trying her best to maintain the magic being poured out as small as possible.

She had to close the gate of at least one of them but she couldn't take the risks.

Still, Lucy managed to hold on.

Maybe it was luck of her that celestial mages practice the tradition that summoners don't fight, only the spirits. Most of them were just bystanders that just give orders to attack. They weren't experienced with fighting, so taking them out (_if_ you passed through the Spirit's defence) would've been easy.

Not that getting past their defence was easy though.

After all, they were still celestial spirits. It is their duty and pride to protect their master. So, even if this were against their desire, they would still fight.

Another reason why Lucy still managed to survive even when she was being overwhelmed was that the attacks weren't being directed at her for one reason or another. Granted, the Elysian villagers were focusing their attacks on the Zodiacs due to the agreement that whoever defeats a zodiac, gets that zodiac (thank goodness that Virgo was underground and the combination team play of Leo and Sagittarius was strong). It was also because they were used to just attacking the spirits and not the mages themselves, so they were unconsciously doing it.

That's not the only reason though.

It was also because the Spirits would rather avoid hurting _her_. They could fight their fellow spirits as it was their master's orders but they, at least, do not want to hurt the summoner with the heart of gold and beautiful soul. Lucy Heartfilia was already well-known in the Celestial Realm and admired by all.

_But with one exception . . ._

Lucy had slowed down on her movements as she avoided the chain of attacks. The wind attacks were easier to dodge as they were easy to read (compared to her previous fights) and there were intervals in between. She even managed to dodge wind attacks and have it hit her other opponent. A small advantage when you fight against a whole crowd, they were easier to target.

The one she was having a problem at was _the chains _that deliberately kept attacking her. The movements were much more precise and continuous. They were quick at catching up with her movements, as if used to attacking a person with high speed.

A chain with a huge iron nail at the end aimed for her head in which she dodged by crouching down. She whipped away the chain that aimed for her right. Then she jumped over the chain that tried to whip at her hips

Unfortunately, she hadn't anticipated that her legs were way too strained from so much running around. It didn't give enough force for her to jump high enough. The chain caught her leg and she rolled off to the ground, her leg bleeding.

She tried to stand up despite the pain.

"Hah! This is a chance! Attack her Berenice!" commanded her bald master.

Berenice pursed her lips in frustration but complied. She extended her golden hair toward her, hardening it to form into a spike.

Lucy tried to dodge but knew she wouldn't make in time.

However, Berenice's hair missed her (quite deliberately) by a hair's breath. Actually, it even _deflected_ Andromeda's chain that aimed for Lucy.

"Tsk. Berenice, don't get in my way!" warned Andromeda with a glare.

"Oops. Sorry, she dodged and also my master told me to attack!" replied Berenice, half-heartedly.

"Just get out of my way and take the Zodiacs! Heartfilia is mine!" announced Jorya. She sent another gale, combining it with Andromeda's chain. "Wind Chain!"

Lucy tried to shield herself with her arms, but then, the ground underneath her collapsed. She fell on a soft ground.

"I've done as you've requested, hime-sama" Virgo told her.

"Virgo!" Lucy called out in relief as the Maiden took out a ribbon from her maid costume and gave it to Lucy as there was no time to wrap it herself. Andromeda's chain sneaked and dived into the hole. Virgo immediately dug out and removed the ground the chain sprouted from. The chain turned limp and disappeared.

Lucy's eyes stared at it. So that was the trick to the chains.

'_Hime-sama, wrap your wound first and heal. I'll protect you from Andromeda. Just hide in that hole, Jorya will not chase you there.'_

"No, I'll go. I won't let you fight alone" she told her as she quickly bandaged the wound. Right now, Sagittarius was holding off Orion and the other spirits, shooting five arrows at the same time, deflecting Orion's bullets and the other projectile attacks. He was also shooting the keys away from the owners, making spirits return, when given the chance.

"Oh yeah! Get him Orion!" demanded Nesh. Orion remained quiet but still aimed his shotgun at Sagittarius. Sagittarius shot two arrows; one had cut through the bullet while the other shot at Orion's hand, making him drop his gun.

"No one can defeat me with projectiles when I get serious" Sagittarius noted as he stood there, all dignified. The Elysian villagers, who were ridiculing him earlier, looked at him in awe. Even if this guy was wearing a ridiculous horse costume, no one could deny his skill.

". . . You got shot by a simple human though. Underestimating modern weaponry will be your downfall" Orion reminded him, referring to the treasure hunters.

"T-That's a different story" said Sagittarius, remembering the incident. It wasn't that he couldn't match it, rather he got "distracted"*.

"Watch out!" Leo punched the golden hair spike that aimed for Sagittarius. He's the one who was tanking most of attacks directed towards them.

Lucy looked up and observed first, focusing more on Andromeda and Jorya who were the most intent on attacking her.

Virgo dived and dug out the chains off the ground. There were six in total. Andromeda was controlling her chains with her hand movements; if that was the case, then she just have to restrict her hands. Lucy sent out her command and she set out and complied with it. She dug deeper.

Lucy jumped out of the hole. She dodged a chain then the second one. She rolled to the ground and then sprinted toward the chained lady. Andromeda got ready to attack

"Oh no, you won't!" Jorya took out her card but before she could throw it out, the ground beneath her feet fell. She screamed as she fell down.

"Andromeda! Save me!"

Andromeda surprised at the sudden scream, diverted her attention to her. She has to protect the contractor at all cost, after all.

She grabbed her using her chains.

That was all Lucy need.

She looped her whip to one of Andromeda's wrist and pulled, yanking her to the side then she maneuvered it so that her wrists would be tied together. Interestingly, the chains around Jorya moved as if being yanked and threw Jorya off the ground.

"So I was right, you're controlling your chains with your hand" she told her.

Andromeda glared at her.

"You . . ." she called her like she was a curse. She tried to free her hands but it was tied tightly. Andromeda's eyes widened. _She was tied again . . . stuck . . . unable to leave . . ._

Lucy pursed her lips. Jorya was thrown quite far away from them. She has to drag Andromeda too to get to her. Jorya was still struggling to get up. Apparently, the impact had given her quite a heavy blow. This was her chance. _'If I could get the key . . . then it will unsummon her' _she thought.

She looked back at Andromeda who stopped struggling. Lucy was quite surprised to see Andromeda shaking and looking down with wide-eyes and an expression full of fear.

"A-Andromeda?"

"N-No . . . not again . . . no . . . not again . . . no . . . no. . . NNNOOOO!" Andromeda yelled, suddenly pulling up at the whip's cord that Lucy had been pulled forward. Then chains erupted at her front, hitting Lucy directly at her stomach. She flew off from the impact hitting a hard stone and rolled off the sandy red ground.

Lucy coughed blood. "Lucy!" Leo called.

However, two of the silver spirits simultaneously attacked him. "Sorry, dude. I can't go too easy on you here" Hercules, a wimpy-looking young man who could control and expand his muscles, told him as Leo hold him off with his one arm. The other was to hold off Chameleon's tongue.

He pulled and threw Chameleon to the other Spirits and mages who tried to attack them and then grab Hercules and slammed him to the ground. Phoenix dived to attack him but moved away when Sagittarius attacked.

He was about to go when golden hair wrapped on his wrist. "Leo, I understand what you feel but you can't leave Sagittarius! If he got sent back, there will be more attacks focused on your master!" Berenice reminded him.

Leo resisted and still tried to get to his master, "Why do you care!? I've got to get to her! She's _my_ master! Her safety is my priority . . ." his voice trailed off when he saw the serious, worried and hurt look on her deep blue eyes.

She _does_ understand. Even she doesn't want to hurt her, no celestial spirit does except for one _certain_ spirit. But they got their own masters too. They have to attack, and they would rather hurt their fellow spirit who could take it than Lucy herself. This was their best course of action they could take to not hurt her further.

_They've got no choice._

Lucy tried to get up again, supporting herself up with her arms that were shaking heavily. "Dang . . . If only I have more magic in me . . ." she thought regretfully.

Upon hearing that, Corona Borealis resolved his determination. His eyes narrowed and he clenched his fist as he charged himself up. Even though he was just a crown with eyes and hands, he skipped and jumped to "attack" Lucy.

The unprecedented tackle had almost made Lucy received the other attacks not-so-directly aimed at her, but it had made her dodged Andromeda's chains and Jorya's attack.

Andromeda clicked her tongue in irritation. All the spirits were teaming up to not really hurt the human summoner. It was _only_ her who was really doing her job as a spirit. Granted, they were still protecting their masters but they weren't so serious at attacking at all! They were taking it easy.

It's not like she could call out to them and tell them off for doing that though. They were her fellow kin and she wouldn't sell them out on what they were really doing. If their masters found out, they would get punished and the humiliation from heaven would be harsh.

They don't deserve that, they were just being fooled. But they were getting in the way too much!

Lucy was bent over and panted heavily. She was finding it hard to breathe now. It felt like her lungs were being dried up as the air was being sucked out of it. Her legs were going numb and her hands continued shaking. She was weakly holding on to her whip.

Still, she tried to stand up.

She gripped on a hard rock to push herself up but the rock was so smooth that her hand slipped on it. She fell. She looked at the rock and found that it wasn't really a rock.

"W-What . .?"

It was a white-greenish crystal that formed and spiked on the ground. It was glowing faintly with ethereal light under the dust , soil . . . and _blood_.

She stared at it, realizing what it was. She picked it up and wiped off the dirt and picked up the rock crystal. Just touching it made her feel the power surge to her. "T-This is . . ."

Everyone's eyes widened at the realization too.

"Oh no! She found it!"

"Get your hands off it!"

"Why didn't you take it away!?"

Lucy held the crystal lacrima at her hands and stared at it in complete bewilderment. "Why . . . is a lacrima . . . here?"

She looked at the people around the room. Now that she noticed it, this people were all wearing a lacrima of some sort as their accessory like bracelets, necklace, earrings, and ring. Jorya was wearing a brooch with lacrima crystals as a fastener for her cloak.

". . . That's Columba."

Andromeda's head was cast low, her eyes hidden underneath her bangs.

Lucy's hand began to tremble as she held the item in her hands. "H-Huh? Columba? That can't be . . . this is a lacrima . . ."

The chained lady looked up, showing the cold dark expression on her face. Her pitch-black eyes that were full of disdain looked at her and the object she was holding.

"A-Andromeda! Stop!" Berenice called out to her, but she was unheard.

"What's so surprising? That's _her_. That's her foot that was cut off because of you humans" she continued on.

Lucy's eyes widened with horror. ". . . What?"

Andromeda scoffed at her. "Hah. You're acting like you're shocked and horrified, but you'll be just the same. Admit it, you find it convenient, right? You got a power lacrima. Not to mention, it's Columba's lacrima. With her buffing magic, you could also boost your attributes to defeat us."

The golden haired summoner was more shocked and horrified at the idea though. It felt like her mind clogged and stopped working as the terrible truth behind the object she was holding came to light. She couldn't accept it. That was just too much.

"N-No . . . you've got to be kidding me . . . why?"

"Why? You ask me _why_!? You humans had been butchering us for decades, and you ask me now, WHY?" she began to laugh as if it's some bad joke.

"Hahaha. _Who_ do you think holds the greatest production of _lacrima_ in this country? Why do you think this _small_ village holds a great position in the market and power at the council!? This very village gains its very income on exporting lacrima!"

"Stop it! Don't say anymore!" Vulpecula, the little fox, cried. Lucy's body was shaking badly as Andromeda continued to speak. She bend over to the ground as the thought and pain flood through her mind. Tears began to leak out of her eyes.

"Why indeed!? It's all because it's convenient! We never die! We don't need to eat! We are basically a materialization of ethernano that formed consciousness! We don't have a real physical body! We're just a lump of infinite energy magic resource for you stupid humans!"

"Stop . . ."

"What? Feeling concerned? Am I supposed to take that seriously? Yeah right, maybe you act like its disgusting and such but later you'll also find it convenient."

The chained spirit glared at everyone, then look at the top box.

"Just like them. In the end, even when you claim to love Spirits . . .

_"You will just sacrifice us for greater power."_

* * *

. . . * . . .

* * *

**End of Chapter.**

**I find it sad that Andromeda is kinda right with the last sentence. She _will_ sacrifice Aquarius to summon the Celestial Spirit King later, but that won't be tackled in this fic.**

* This was referring to Chapter 347 when Lucy, Wendy, and Flare fought off against the three treasure hunters. I recommend you to check on that chapter. Sagittarius was actually doing well on deflecting the bullets even from far away. The time he got shot in the chest was only when Virgo (who was wearing a very short miniskirt) got into a "funny" position when she tried to dig through ice.

The moment I read that chapter, I couldn't help but think that Sagittarius looked away to Virgo, and therefore got hit. Just check it out to see what I'm talking about.


	11. Verse 11: Spirit's Defiance (Completed)

Hello everyone!

Yay! Uploaded today together with the other stories! Thank you for everyone who patiently waited. This story is 3 - 5 chapters worth so enjoy as much as you like. I hope I draw out the feels today. Hehehe.

Also, I _love_ your reviews! Especially about the Celestial Spirits! I'm so glad you found them great!

Enjoy!

* * *

**Spirits Bio:**

* * *

**Lepus **– a little boy with short brown hair and white fluffy bunny ears and tail. He got quite huge front teeth. He was wearing a green vest over his woolly shirt, his belt looping on his light brown shorts, and brown boots were buckled. He got small but round watery brown eyes.

Power: _Speed – he is fast and has great sense of danger._

Likes:_ clovers, fluffy things_

Dislikes: _Vehicles/Carriages, violence, Carrots_

Bio: _He is designed for evasion, escape, and chase. If you want to run away for your life, you can count on him! Due to his nature, he has great instinct of avoiding danger to the point he can detect and avoid them before it happens. Unfortunately, this had made him so use to running away that the sudden changed of lifestyle to fight was so new to him._

_His sense of danger had turned into fear, and therefore he had turned him into a "cowardly spirit" that couldn't fight. This had caused for people to think of him as a stupid and useless spirit. The new generation had turned to bullying him which became the reason why he suddenly have low confidence._

_In truth – and what most people didn't realize, was that his ability was pretty strong. The closest one to realize this was Jorya Haspel, and she bought him for quite a cheap price (around the price of Plue's key). She thought he could make a great assassin and combatant at surprise attacks. It turned out to be a disappointing development to her though, as Lepus hated violence. He always hesitates with his attacks. Her disappointment had turned into disapproval when none of her training with him came into fruition._

_What people don't know was that he was actually a very energetic and sincere spirit. Once he gets his mind to it, he would ran and do it. He really looked up to Andromeda, who was like a big sister and a mentor to him. She would usually protect him from being punished when he did something (yes, he doesn't look it but he's quite mischievous: like when he summoned his self to show his gratitude to Lucy). He would often do the things he believed was right even if it means putting his life in danger._

_He's actually a really, really reliable spirit to have . . . when he has his confidence. Unfortunately, everyone was undermining him, and so it resulted to his slow development._

_He reminded me a bit of the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland. Though I don't really have a reference, he's really just a character that popped up my mind because I needed a spirit to bully. He turned into one of my favourites because he's quite easy to draw (except the ears) and visualize. He has lots of potential as a character._

_PS: A few might be surprise why he hates carrots. Actually, he used to love it. One of his previous owners find him cute and would always make him eat it. Unfortunately, she could be . . . umm. . . a bit too _forceful_ and as a result . . . You know what happened. He turned to fear it._

**-:-**

**Columba **– a young woman with short white hair, round black eyes and small white wings on her back. She has no bangs but two strands of hair framed her face, showing off her prominent forehead. Wreath of laurels decorated her head and rested on her ear. She wore white dress and has no shoes.

Power: _Holy Rings – she could summon golden rings of light that has buffing effect and equip it for better maneuverability, speed, agility, defence, endurance and attack power. She could also throw them like disc as a form of attack. She could also fly._

Likes: _Olives, seeds_

Dislikes: _Mud, dark places_

Bio:_ A young girl whose original purpose was to be a messenger and buff support for celestial mages. However, she was forced to train for combat as not everyone could dual-summon, and mages were not usually fighters themselves. As she was not practical to summon, she was forced to learn how to put Holy Rings to herself and fight._

* * *

. . *. O. * . .

* * *

**Verse XI  
Spirit's Defiance  
**

Andromeda used to be a spirit who was kind and loyal to her master to the end. However, due to an event long ago, her views on humans changed greatly.

_This happened a few decades back. . ._

"_Watch out!"_

_Andromeda couldn't move. She was holding off the iron gates from closing when the great basilisk went for her. She closed her eyes, thinking that she would try to hold on the best she could until her master and his friends got safely to the other side of the dungeon._

_She expected pain, but nothing came. Not so much of an impact on her body._

"_Grr. Are you okay?"_

_She opened her eyes and saw that her master had taken out his whip and looped it on the beast mouth. He was gritting his teeth just to hold off the beast from attacking a few inches away. She could feel it's breath down her neck._

"_Master!? What the hell are you doing!? Hurry up and get to the other side! I could barely hold off this gate!"_

_He tried to smirk despite the pressure. "Heh. How funny, I could barely . . . hold off . . . grr . . . this thing . . . trying to eat you too."_

"_Are you an idiot!? I'll be fine! Your safety is the priority! If you don't get out of here, you'll be trapped forever!"_

"_Like hell I'll let you get eaten!"_

"_We're both doomed if you're taken!"_

"_Argh! Enough! Both of you are idiots! Hold him still!"_

_Their teammate yelled at them as he held his sword ready. "Columba!" he yelled as he charged on. The dove spirit then summoned her Holy Rings around her master's hands, boosting his speed, attack power, and dexterity._

_The sword pierced right through the iron-like scales and through the skull, killing the beast._

"_Ugh . . . Jonas, hurry!" Andromeda yelled as her hands had gone numb from holding the chains tightly._

_Their teammate, Jonas, was a man with dark hair and muscular body. He grabbed her master and ran for the gate. Her master struggled and yelled after her. Andromeda hold on until they passed right through the gate then she let go the gates coming to a close and enveloping her in darkness._

* * *

"_You are really an idiot" said Jonas with crossed arms as he looked at the teenage boy with straw-like hair crying as he hugged his celestial spirit._

"_Uwwaaahhhh! I'm sorry, Andromeda! For leaving you there! Are you alright? Did it hurt?" he cried at her._

_Andromeda was blushing, a bit embarrassed at her master's display of emotion."Ah, geez. I'm alright. I returned to the celestial realm the moment the gates closed. You know I could just return to your side when you summon me again."_

_She told him. The moment they returned back to the surface of the dungeon and made camp, she was summoned again to get a check-up if she was alright._

"_But . . . but" he called out worriedly._

"_What do you mean 'but'? We're spirits, we won't get locked up. We're immortals, and we could just get summoned whenever you wanted to" she told her with a raised eyebrow._

"_Even if you say that, it doesn't mean you don't have feelings! Getting left alone in that dark place . . . every time I think of that . . . I know it's sad. Besides, there's also the fact that a basilisk would have ripped you to shreds, that's just too painful" he explained, looking down. He's fist shook a bit as he remembered the scared look his celestial spirit had given as she desperately hold on to the chain, giving up all defense for the sake of them getting out._

_Andromeda blinked, touched at how much he could relate well with his spirits._

"_That's why you're an idiot. You're spirit has been doing everything she can to keep you safe but you ignored that and just went on your own. You could have got locked down there. Isn't the main reason why it was us celestial mages who took the mission to explore the dungeons was to have the celestial spirits scout for us? We could avoid the dangers and keep our lives thanks to the spirits tanking the blow for us" Jonas scolded him._

"_No! It's that stupid mayor's idea. Spirit's are not slaves for us to just use for shields! Their people! And it's not like you're one to talk. You are fighting on the frontlines with Columba as your support!"_

"_It's because I'm a swordsman in the first place! I just learned celestial magic! And don't talk to the mayor like that, he's our boss! Besides, what you're saying is the old ways. Many celestial mages find this style of magic much more convenient" his friend told him._

"_That doesn't make it right. What does that old man thinking, anyway? What good comes from exploring this dungeons?" he stared at the entrance which looked like an abandoned mineshaft._

_Andromeda sighed. "Really, you're clueless about this stuff. You know how deep in the red the guild is, right? Besides, the village has turned drastically poor. We can only get by with the tourists and selling magic stuffs. The resource of lacrima your village was using had dwindled, and so the village's products had run low, creating a high demand and causing the price to rise. The prices these days were turning away our precious few visitors. With that in mind, we need to find a new resource mining for ethernano particles._

"_And so we have to find a mine for ethernano which is this place. The presence of dungeons and high-class monsters are enough proof that this place had huge ethernano concentration. And high-concentration of monsters would mean that there would be crystal lacrimas! That's why we have to scout the place and find those lacrima crystals and make sure that it will be a safe place for mining! Also, we should give to the guild the lacrima and loots you have collected. That's the mission given to you!"_

_She pointed and looked at him in a stern manner after the lecture._

_Her master had that screwed-up look after the long explanation._

"_Sheesh, alright. I get it (not really). All we got to do is beat those monsters to a pulp right? Then just throw whatever we got to the stupid old man" he told her, stretching his arms._

_Andromeda sighed heavily. "You really didn't get it, did you? Anyways, don't keep insulting the mayor, he is Melissa's father, you know? That's not a good habit if you want to court her."_

_He blushed hard. "H-Hey! I-It's not like I l-like her. We are only friends!"_

_Jonas scoffed at him. "Yeah, right! I've seen you staring at her with this big oogly eyes."_

_Andromeda giggled._

"_I did not! Andromeda, stop laughing! Argh, you two! You just loved teasing me!" He yelled angrily at his friends._

_The other two laughed out loud. "Hahaha, we can't help it. You're so obvious" Jonas told him._

"_Hehehe, you'll make a good couple" she said._

"_You're just teasing me again!"_

"_No, really. I know she liked you too" said Andromeda with a smile. Her master glared at her in doubt "Stop it, you just want me to make a fool of myself."_

"_I'm serious. You should go for it" she insisted. Though behind her smile was a slight ache of her own heart. "You're a great man, a good person with a kind heart and a strong spirit. Only a fool would not see that."_

_Her master looked at her. "Really?"_

_She nodded. "Of course!"_

_She stood up and turned to face him, opposite of the bonfire. The fire illuminated her figure with bright light as she smiled at him.  
_

"_You're a really great master, Bahram."_

. . . That was the time of her innocence before she turned into the cynical person she was now . . .

The Elysian village was used to have been run by a guild, Lumino. The guild master was also the mayor who runs the village. At that time, Bahram and his best-friend, Jonas, were childhood friends with the mayor's daughter, Melissa.

Bahram was a strong celestial summoner. He got a lot of magic reserves required for summoning and his spirit's trust. His spirits, due to his kind and warm nature, would always watch over him. They would explore the dungeons that were in the Holy Mountains near the village.

Even though their village was not so prosperous, it was peaceful. At festivals, they would have fun and celebrate together. The villagers were all nice and would help each other out when in need. It was a warm place. It was a home they would return to after a long and tiring adventure.

_Andromeda watched from behind the tree as her master and his beloved cuddled together, watching the starlit sky from the mountain top._

_"Fufufu. Finally! they confessed at each other!" she grinned, her eyes glinted mischievously as she said those words._

_Behind her were Aquila and, for some reason, Perseus. He was a young man who looked like a novice adventurer with his leather vest and battle boots. His hair, blonde but turned black at it's tips, was spiky that sticks out to his left. He had stormy black eyes that would seem domineering if not for the touch of kindness and compassion it possessed._

_"Andromeda . . ." Aquila called out, she turned to him. "What is it?"_

_He looked at her straightly with those mismatched eyes. "I'll tell you now. This is only natural for they are both humans. They're bound to be with their own kind."_

_She raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I know that. So? Isn't that great?"_

_"That is why you shouldn't feel too bad about it. Men and us Celestial Spirits are never meant to be" he continued on._

_She glared at him. "And what do you mean be that? I am happy for my master!"_

_He stared at her, "You know what I'm talking about . . ."_

_"No. You don't know what you're talking about. Don't talk like you know everything!" she yelled at him._

_"I'm only telling you not to be too down about it."_

_"I'm not down about it. I'm happy for them!" she yelled at him._

_There was a moment of silence between the two of them, finally broken by Aquila. ". . . Then if that's the case, I guess it's time for me to leave. Just remember, you are a Celestial. It will be better if you don't get too emotionally attached to a human" he told her._

_"I don't need you to tell me that! Just get out already!"_

_He didn't say anything more. He went back to his gate._

_She breathed heavily after all the shouting. "That bird . . . How dare he just assume things. . . He ruined the mood!" she turned to the other guy and glared._

_"And you. What are you still doing here?"_

_Perseus just stood there quietly in the corner. He looked at her with conflicted expression on his face._

_"You can cry too, you know? At least you can cry" he told her._

_"Why would I cry? I have no reason to"she denied defensively. Not him too._

_He paused as he thought of what he's going to say next. But then instead of speaking, he decided it was best to put it into action. He went to her and hugged her._

_!_

_"Perseus . . ? What?"_

_"I'm the only one here, no one else will know. So cry. Whether those tears were of joy or sadness . . . even if it's just angry tears at Aquila, cry it out. It's better than holding all in" he said softly._

_She tried to struggle out of his grip, but she didn't found any strength to do so. His gesture was warm and comforting, and for some reason, she found that her chest was really heavy. Without meaning too, tears begin to form at the corner of her eyes._

_"Don't . . . I'm really happy. . ." she told him stubbornly, yet the aggression in her voice was gone._

_"I know," he said._

_"He's annoying. Why do he have to act like he knows everything?" she sobbed, the tears treacherously fell down on her cheeks._

_"Yeah" he was just silently agreeing, accepting all her words and feelings._

_"He . . . I . . ." without meaning to, she began to cry out. Tears kept on pouring down along with her feelings she was trying so desperately to shove aside._

_She was happy . . . but she couldn't help but feel sad . . ._

_The tears were of anxiety and anger . . . for Aquila kept on trying to dish out those feeling . . ._

_She hated it . . . his nosiness . . . his arrogance . . . the fact she was crying now . . ._

_Most of all . . ._

_She hated the fact he was right about her feelings . . ._

_And just like that, she cried the whole night._

...

_Faithful servant she was, she had always watched over her master, from his daily needs to his battles, even relationships. She would scold him whenever he played pranks to the guild master, protect his back during the battles, cheer him up when he's down, and even advice him with his relationship. They would laugh together or cry together. She was always by his side._

_She had always supported him._

Years passed and her master married. Melissa's father retired and Bahram became the village head and guild master. After a year, they found out that his wife was carrying their first child.

But joyous events were followed with unfortunate ones. The country was in a state of recession due to war and the village's economy dropped down. Melissa's father died and she started to act strange. She had entered a state of depression and would lock herself in her room, refusing to leave her bed or to eat anything. She gave up her keys and released her contracts with Celestial Spirits. Naturally, she became sick.

_"Bahram! Don't go on your own!" she pleaded at her master._

_"WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO!? SIT DOWN AND WATCH HER DIE!?" he yelled at her. He was covered in bandages. His sprained arm wrapped in cloth that hanged around his neck._

_She slapped him. "DO YOU WANT TO DIE!?" she yelled back at him. "At this rate, you're going to die first than her! You know that high level monsters reside there. What you need to do right now is to raise money to hire higher ranked mages! You can't take on S-class monsters!"_

_She could see the anger in his face._

_She bit her lip as she wanted to beat some sense to him. Every single day he would lead a party to search for herbs or collect high price items to sell from dungeons and deep forests. And every night, he would come home wounded and bleeding only to get up again the next morning to get more injuries to tend for the next night. She was sick of him being hurt._

_"Move out of the way. If you don't want to come, I'll do it alone . . ."he shoved her aside._

_"No!" she grabbed on to the shirt of his back as she tried to stop him. "Please . . . Listen to me . . ." her knees gave out and she fell to the floor as she began sobbing. "You're too wounded . . . at this rate you'll die . . . at least heal first before you go into battle. Make the others earn money so that we could hire other mages or buy medicines. . . Also, Melissa needed you right now. At least stay by her side until you recovered . . ." she cried at him._

_Bahram had stopped and listened to her cries. He looked up, his fists shaking. But with her cries, the anger and frustration in his chest was soothed down. He sighed it all away. He turned to her. "Alright, I'm sorry for being stubborn. I'll stay at Meli's side . . . but just until I heal."_

_He put a hand on her shoulder to put her at ease and she nodded lamely as she continued to cry._

_They called for doctors, but no one could heal her. After recovering, he wasted no time in leading his party to quests to look for ways to help. They also send requests to other guilds but no one could come for the price of reward were so small or the requests were too difficult and dangerous for small-fry mages that would accept._

_Andromeda was left behind to take care of his wife. They were in good terms even before the marriage, so he knew he could trust her with his wife's health. But ever since her father's death, every single time she came into the room to take care of her, she would always be greeted with those lifeless cold eyes full of hate. It felt like she was being accused even though she was sure she hadn't done anything wrong._

_"Please eat . . ." she would always plead at her as she held up the spoon at her mouth. "If not for Bahram, please eat for the sake of the child" only those words would make her sip the food. And even so she said those, it was still not enough to make her finish even a third of the meal. She wouldn't even sip her drink more than once. She would only quietly sip the food, she never talked back or tell what her problem was._

_Silence. There would only be silence in this room. There won't be any sound made unless she talked or dropped the plate. It was an eerie and unpleasant silence. She hated it._

_Columba would help from time to time every time Jonas visited. She would apply her Holy Rings to her to at least boost her energy and vitality. Doctors would come to check up on her, and so were the other villagers to cheer her up. Everyone tried to help, but there was only little they could do if the person herself doesn't want to get up from her bed._

_She wanted to cry._

...

_"Uraaa!" he yelled as he slashed at the vampire bats. They were exploring the dungeon after detecting the high concentration of ether there. They thought they could sell those lacrimas for a high price, especially now that its highly demanded in the market. They couldn't find any lacrima ores though._

_"Wait, Bahram!" Andromeda called out to her master who was blindly slashing at the hordes of monsters, going further and further away from the group. A basilisk aimed to attack her unaware._

_"Andromeda!"_

_Perseus came and stabbed the snake at its head, killing it. "Go! I'll watch your back!"_

_She nodded in thanks and began to run after her master. Jonas already ordered a retreat as the monsters in the dungeon were too many and dangerous. She needed to call him back._

_Her master had entered into a tunnel that goes deep down. She ran, calling for her master. She went further ahead searching for him until she reached the end of the tunnel. _

_It was a circular cave, as high as a tower. High above them were huge crystal spikes of lacrimas. The entire ceiling was covered by it. It was no doubt the source of the high-concentration of ether they had detected. The stones that make up the walls and floor were half covered in moss and dirt. There was no floor that covered the entire room, only a pit so deep she couldn't see the bottom, it was only pitch-black darkness below it. In the middle of the abyss was a circular plateau with twelve moss-covered arches, only the small path of stone connected it to the entrance. _

_Bahram stood at the center of the arches._

_"Bahram! Let's go back! We need to go back!" she yelled at him, but still, he didn't move. He was staring at something._

_"Bahram?" cautiously, she approached him. He was staring at something ahead of him, his sword was drawn and pointed at it. His hands were shaking slightly as he stood on guard. She followed his line of sight and found nothing but darkness ahead. But then she realized what he was looking at._

_She gasped._

_Standing on the shadows, she saw a pair of gold eyes with black slitted pupils watching them carefully. With it's black scales and long tail with five spikes, black claws perched into the arch below it, sharp teeth stained with blood, and mouth that was dripping acid, the beast couldn't have become more ominous and dangerous._

_ At first, she thought she was staring at a dragon. But it couldn't be. Dragons were not that small. Comparing the sizes, the beast was only five times bigger than a six-footer man. It could only be one thing, a draco._

_Still, she held her breath. Dracos may be less dangerous and smaller than real dragons, but it doesn't make it any less deadly. It was ranked as an SS-class monster. She knew they couldn't handle it with their power. She realized that the draco was only watching them vigilantly, cautious at the new strangers that dared enter its territory. _

_It snarled, warning them to get away. She took it as a chance to run now. "Let's go, while it's still passive. Let's not anger it any further" she whispered at her master._

_He only put his sword further up in response. "No."_

_Her eyes widened with shock and horror. She knew it would be because he had a funny notion in his head that if he defeated that monster, he would also be able to save his wife. "You couldn't possibly thinking of fighting that!? You know you are no -"_

_He cut her off as he charged recklessly. "No!" she could only yell out at him as her heart filled with dread, but her voice was drowned with the roar of the beast. With the presence of killing intent, it had turned into aggressive mode and began to attack as well. The whole place shook with the sound of its cry, making a few small dirt fall down._

_Everything seemed to slow down. She looked up and found the lacrima crystal clang at each other. Meanwhile, Bahram just attacked carelessly with little knowledge of swordsmanship he learned from Jonas. He was slashed to the ground by the monster's tail. He fell down and couldn't stand up. Her eyes widened in terror as she saw the beast raise its claw and swipe down at him while he tried to crawl back up._

_"No! Bahram! Watch out!" she shoved him out of harms way._

_Blood splattered everywhere._

_The draco's large and sharp claws sliced deep into her skin, to her flesh and down to her very bones. "A-Andromeda . . ." Bahram's eyes widened in shock and horror as he watched her, her own blood dripping at his face. The monster had cut her from her neck down to her abdomen, her insides showing as her left arm dangled from an awkward angle as if it was going to be peeled off any second. Her left elbow was completely severed from her and the hand she used to save him lay at the side of the floor beside him, creating a pool of blood._

_"Ack . .. B-Bahram . . ." she managed to call out to him despite coughing blood. Using her other arm that was still intact and her chains, she held onto the claws that penetrated deep inside her to keep it from attacking again. The draco thrashed around as it tried to free it's arm, twisting and slicing her insides. She wanted to scream in pain but she doesn't want to worry her master any further._

_The entire cave shook with the stomping and rage of the draco. The stalactites rattled with the force, a few of the lacrima crystals fell down and crashed. The beast slashed it's tail down and a huge crack formed on the floor, crawling to the wall and into the ceiling._

_"I'm sorry . . ." she looked at her master and tried to mask the pain with an apologetic smile. She must've looked very grotesque right now with blood dripping from her mouth, but she still tried to smile for his sake. She knew how he hated it when others sacrificed themselves for him._

_She summoned her chains to strike at the crack above the ceiling and with her final strength pulled it down, along with the rocks and spikes of crystals that hanged above them. The entire ceiling collapsed and it fell down on them, stabbing and crashing at the poor creature along with her. They were buried alive._

_Bahram survived for he was pulled to the exit with one of the chains she had summoned._

...

_He put a bouquet of flowers at the front of the grave._

_The sky was fair and a bit cloudy as they held the funeral. Bahram was dressed in a black suit as he stared at the graves of his friends who died on the dungeon quest. They hadn't expected that the lower levels would be infested with high-level monsters, no doubt attracted by the insane amount of ether concentration. He just stood there quietly, in front of the grave of his best friend. Jonas was among the ones who perished._

_Andromeda appeared behind him._

_". . . What are you doing here?I didn't summon you . . ." he told her flatly. His eyes had sunk deep and shadowed as huge bags appeared underneath them._

_"Yeah, you didn't call me for a long time . . ." she told him. He had not called her ever since they had defeated the draco, she only heard everything from Columba who was crying herself out. She thought it was because he was too depressed to muster the strength to summon anyone. He must be blaming his self for being far away from them when they died. _

_So she took the courage upon herself to do a self-summoning and comfort him. She hugged him from behind in which he quietly accepted._

* * *

_"Andromeda . . . I have something to tell you" one night, Bahram summoned her. He handed her something which were wrapped on cloth. She unraveled it to reveal a large lacrima crystal._

_She looked at it, frowning, then back at him. Her eyes only showed confusion. "I thought you sold all the lacrimas you collected for Melissa's medicine?"_

_He looked freaked out. "N-No . . . that . . . that's different . . . I found that in the Draco's lair . . . That was yours . . . right?"_

_She frowned at his question, not knowing what he was talking about. But then, she saw an iron bracelet wrapped at it with a chain attached. With a sickening feeling in her stomach, she realized what he was talking about. _

_"Y-You mean this is . . . this is . . . m-my arm?" the hair behind her neck stood up as goosebumps appeared on her shoulders. It was weird and creepy to see your own cut-off arm from yourself, not to mention holding it._

_"I-I don't know . . . I-It has the same feeling as your energy . . . And your left wrist chain was also attached to it" he tried to explain, panic and stuttering. He was obviously as discomforted at it as much as her. "W-What do you want to do with it?"_

_"I don't know . . . keep it? throw it? I think it might be better to sell this for Melissa's medicine . . ." it was really weird discussing what to do with a part of your body. It was an unpleasant feeling._

_"I didn't know Spirits bodies could become lacrimas . . . haha. . ." _

_"Me neither . . . this is the first time I've heard of it . . . could it be because our bodies were made of ethernano in the first place? I'm not really sure. . ."_

_"Ah . . . I see . . . That would make sense . . ."_

_After that night, he had never summoned her again. Not even after his wife's death, who died after she gave birth to their son. She tried to summon herself but she received a warning from Aquila not to do that. He told her to respect her master's decision. _

_"Easy for him to say, he was the one being summoned. I'm the only one being left behind!" she whined at Ara who was patiently listening to her complaints. Her friend sweated a bit and looked away as she sipped her drink. "M-Maybe he had good reasons . . . You should really stay this time like a good celestial spirit."_

_She pouted at her. "What do you think I'm doing right now!? Hmph! You're just saying that because you're being summoned by him too!" The Altar was among the new spirits her master had contracted to. Everyone was being called one after another, and every single time she wanted to check him on her self, they would stop her._

_Ara only looked down at her statement. ". . . I wish he wouldn't though . . ." she muttered quietly._

_"Huh?" Andromeda looked at her questioningly._

_"I-It's nothing!" she quickly said after in panic._

_She frowned at her. Ara was acting really strange today, normally she would cry from the simplest of things. Her simple statement earlier would have sent her bawling her eyes out already but she was handling it quite well today._

_"Ara . . . you changed quite a lot, huh? What's this? Could it be you are getting secretly trained while I'm not?" she joked at her._

_". . . You could say that."_

_Andromeda could only stare at her shy face. Now she doesn't know what to do. It felt like she was really being left behind. She sent messages to her master, but he ignored her. She tried to ask Aquila what the training was about but he wouldn't answer her either. Ha! He was certainly being out-of-character. He was the type to answer any question, being the show-off that he was. Lastly, as a final resort, she tried to open the gate herself but then she couldn't even budge it for some reason._

_She was getting frustrated._

_Perseus appeared as he got back from his summoning. He had a huge cut from his face down to his chest. Gold dusts were flowing in as the wound began to close and fade with the absorption of ethernano in the atmosphere._

_She ran to him. "Hey, you okay?" she knelt beside him, looking at him with worry._

_He looked at the blood in his hands. "Yeah, my master got into a fight with your master. Darn, I could have done a number of him. I didn't expect him to use spells" he cursed under his breathe._

_"Win against Bahram? Hah. Not in a million years, do you know how powerful he is?" she told him proudly, he was her master after all. Although they shouldn't take it on a personal level with fellow spirits when their masters fight, it won't stop her from being bias with her master._

_He looked at her weirdly. "You're still siding with him!?"_

_She tilted her head to the side, confused. "What are you talking about?" she was always siding with her contractor. There wasn't anything strange about that . . . right?_

_He frowned as he looked at her questioningly. Finally, he seemed to have arrived at a conclusion. "Hah!" he half-laughed, half-sighed as if he just heard a very sarcastic joke. His tone was full of scorn. "So you don't know. . . no wonder . . ."_

_"What are you talking about?"_

_He glared at her. "You're his contracted spirit. At least know your master!" he yelled angrily at her._

_She was shocked. "What are you talking about!? Of course I know my master! You don't know what we went through together! Maybe it was YOU who got the wrong idea!" she yelled back at him in anger. She knew him better than anyone else._

_"Like hell you are," he scoffed at her. He turned away and jumped off to another place, leaving her behind with anxiety and frustration._

_She went back to her place and found Ara on the way. Something was odd, she was shaking as if she was afraid of something. Now, Ara was normally afraid of almost anything from stranger to even cute animals. She would even feel anxious about being summoned, thinking that she might not perform her job well. No, that wasn't what was strange in this situation, what was strange was the fact that she was shaking but NOT even crying about whatever it is. Crying was almost her own trademark._

_She went closer to her and she heard her mumbling and whispering. "Please . . . no . . . it's about time . . . he's gonna . . . I'll be summoned again . . ."_

_"Ara?"_

_She flinched at being called and quickly looked at her. "A-Ah. . . A-A-Andromeda . . ."_

_"What's wrong?"_

_"N-Nothing! I-I-It's d-definitely n-nothing!" she told her, panicked as she waved her hands at her._

_That definitely doesn't looked like "nothing"._

_Then a white bluish glow appeared below Ara, she was being called. Ara's face immediately filled with dread as she sunk down, her eyes looked at her screaming for help. But before she could do anything, she vanished._

_Now Andromeda was unsettled. Now she was sure that something was _really_ wrong. She immediately tried to open her gate to follow Ara but she found out that she still couldn't open it. She called for Aquila who immediately flew down to her._

_"What is it?"_

_"Hurry and help me open this gate! I can't force it open!" she told him._

_"Don't. I told you not to force-summon yourself, respect -"_

_"I already know_ something_ is going on! It's about DAMN time I find out what it is!" she yelled at him.  
_

_". . . I advice you not to. You'll only regret it" he told her._

_"JUST OPEN IT!" she snapped at him._

_He snapped his fingers, and finally her gate glowed as it opened. She glared at him. "It was YOU who locked it!"_

_"It was just a counter-measure. . . But now I find it more wise if you see it for yourself. . ." he told her._

_She glared at him, not buying his explanation. She would have stayed and argue but then she remembered Ara's pleading face. She immediately went in . . ._

_. . . and she was transported into a dark and damp place._

_"What is this . . ? A dungeon?" she thought as she looked around. The walls, floors and ceiling were all made of stones. She was standing on a __mezzanine, chains and other stuff seemed to hang at its railings._

_"NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! PPPPPPPPLLLEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEE!"_

_She flinched as she heard a woman scream. She knew that was Ara's voice. Immediately, she went to the railings to search for the source of that agonized cry. What she saw made her gasped._

_Tubes and the like crawled and snaked on the floor, connecting itself to a table where a cylinder was place on top of it. It was sending strong electrical signals. Inside "the Cylinder" was Ara who was crying out in pain. Two pairs of tube were injected to her eyes and were connecting it to a longer tube. Her tears flowed from her eyes and into the vials that were fastened to the end of the tube. Ara continued to cry in agony as she writhed in pain from the electrocution._

_"GGGGGGGGGYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"_

_Then the device stopped. A man stepped out into the dim light that came from the cylinder. The altar doesn't even have the strength to cry._

_"Ara, we wouldn't have to do this if you had just obediently given us your tears."_

_Andromeda's heart dropped. She knew that voice._

_"No . . ." she whispered. "No . . . that couldn't be . . . this isn't right . . ." her words were of desperate denial. She won't believe it. Unconsciously, she went down and walked towards the man with straw-like hair._

_"P-Please . . . I . . . I can't cry . . . no more . . ." Ara begged at her master._

_"You do realize that it was thanks to your tears that this village began to prosper, right? You have huge responsibility. Or is it that you prefer that I cut off your limbs? Ah, but we did have enough visual lacrimas. What we need right now are healing and recovery potions, I guess Columba would do."_

_" . . . No . . . Don't get her involved . . . I'll do it . . . I'll cry . . . just please . . ."_

_Bahram smiled. "Now, that's a good girl."_

_"M-Master . . ?"_

_He turned to her, his eyes hidden in the shadows of his bangs. "You . . . I didn't summon you . . ."_

_Andromeda stood there, shaking. "W-What is this? Y-you couldn't possibly . . . this p-place . . ." her voice was trembling. Her hands clutched at her chest as she tried to hold her fear. She couldn't believe the sight in front of her. There was something wrong. . . This must be a sick joke._

_"Go back . . . You have no business here . . ."_

_Her eyes looked at him with horror and dread. No . . . that can't be . . . _

_The man in front of her had a straw-like hair similar to his. He had the same eye-color and face shape. He had his voice. But he was not the man she knew. _

_That wasn't the master she loved._

_Bahram stood in front of her, behind his back were Ara who was still in the electrocution chamber, cages and chains to keep tormented Spirits, a butcher's table, and many more unspeakable things in this dark and damp basement. Her eyes must be lying at her. He would never do this . . . That couldn't be Bahram . . ._

_. . . That man standing in front of her was just a monster . . ._

_. . . The man standing in front of her could never be her beloved master . . ._

. . .

Andromeda looked back coldly at the blonde celestial mage.

Lucy stood up, her demeanor changed as she held on to the lacrima. Her expression was hidden under the shadows of her bangs. It seemed everyone had turned silent as they awaited the blonde mage's decision.

". . . All this while . . . you have been tortured . . . by this . .?" a tear streaked down her cheek as she looked at the damn thing. Her hand shook.

"Hurry! Use it now!" Loke yelled, with that she could summon another one of her celestial spirits to help.

Her hand clutched tightly at the crystal, its points stabbing at her soft white hands until it bleed. Blood dripped down from her palm and into her arms. She couldn't care less about the pain, the spirits had experienced more pain from that.

"Tch! Hurry up and stop her before she used that!" Jorya commanded. All at once, the summoners ordered their spirits to attack Lucy directly. They all took the stance as they prepared to attack, watching the blonde celestial mage with every move.

Lucy raised her bleeding hand, breathed deeply . . .

. . . And threw the lacrima hardly to the ground.

!?

"Wha -!?"

"Did she just - !?"

Everyone's eyes widened with shock as she threw her last hope for recovery, smashing it to a thousand pieces. Her hope became a million shards of broken crystal.

Everyone was shocked speechless.

"Wha-? . . Why?" Andromeda couldn't understand. That was just an unwise move. Why would she throw it away? Corona had risked it all just to show it to her. She won't have another chance like that again!

". . . Why?" Lucy asked back, her expression hidden under her bangs. "This . . . You want me to use _this_ atrocity?" she glared at the people around her, "You all had been using this? You made you Celestial Spirits suffer for _this_? _And you call yourselves **Celestial Mages**!?_"

The people gulped unconsciously at the rage of her voice, her eyes were filled with anger. She whipped hardly to the ground, making a thunderous cracking sound that could make any man flinch.

"CELESTIAL SPIRITS ARE NOT YOUR TOOLS! THEY ARE NOT YOUR SLAVES! THEY ARE YOUR FRIENDS! THEY ARE PEOPLE WITH FEELINGS AND OWN MIND! YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY DO THIS TO THEM! HOW COULD YOU CALL YOURSELVES CELESTIAL MAGES!? HOW CAN YOU EVEN CALL YOURSELVES HUMAN!?"

Silence. Everyone was just shocked speechless at her rage.

Jorya only looked at her with disbelief. "Ha . . . haha . . . hahahahahahaha . . ." recovering her wits, she began to laugh. "For that? You threw away your last hope for that!? You're in the middle of a fight, and you threw it away out of pride? We're not in a manga or something, you think you can win with your talk? Win with love and friendship? That is no longer the way," she laughed at the incredulity of it. _You don't know anything, you fool._

Lucy looked at her straight in the eye, her hazel eyes burning with determination "I will NEVER lose to people like you!"

Jorya looked at her coldly. "Let's see about that. . ."

Rohini watched from above. "What a fool. She has little magic left in her. Does she have a plan in mind?"

His father touched his beard. "Even if she did, it would have benefited her more if she had just used it. Isn't that right?" he turned to his bird spirit.

Aquila just nodded, still as expressionless as ever. "It certainly would have benefited her more. I don't think she did that because she was planning something, she only broke the lacrima to pieces out of anger," he told them. _Though there is another effect of that action that will be in her favor . . . _he dare not say those words aloud. Even he was affected by the bold move she made.

"Everyone! Forget the Zodiacs, we're going to get that girl! Andromeda, attack!" Jorya directed as she pointed at Lucy.

They nodded to each other and commanded their spirits to do so. But . . .

Jorya looked at her spirit, "Andromeda?"

The chained spirit still stood there, staring at the blonde celestial mage at the center of the crowd. _'That can't be right . . . she almost have no magic left in her. Her other spirits already have their hands full handling the other spirits attacking them, no one would be left to defend her. She needed to summon a different and stronger spirit. . . Does she plan to die just to prove a point?_

"No way . . ." her master's mouth twitched, looking at her with disbelief. "You dare defy me, Andromeda? I thought you hated that mage too."

Even with those words, she didn't move. Andromeda was no longer listening. _Why would she do that? There wouldn't be much benefit to gain from that. _A tear streaked down her eye as she looked at the crushed pieces of crystals, shining like the thousand stars against the blood-stained sand.

"Fools" Erza said as she watched the events unfold with her other teammates, "Not everything is about power."

Bahram and Rohini's eyes widened as realization hit them.

"T-This . . ."

Lucy had prepared herself for a torrent of blows to come her way, but nothing came. It wasn't only Andromeda who hesitated to attack. The other Spirits stood there, unmoving. Their contractors were all yelling at them but they remained stubborn. Despite the fact that it was their duty to follow the orders of their contractor, they all refuse to attack the one Celestial mage who had showed them love and kindness. They all refuse to harm the person who stood up and fought a one-sided battle for their sake.

"H-Hey, you can't be serious . . . Orion, I told you to attack" Nesh paled as it was his first time being defied by his favorite Spirit.

"What's wrong with you, Berenice!?" The lady with long golden hair fell down to her knees as she began sobbing.

"Perseus!? I told you to attack! Listen to me!" his master adamantly demanded at the Hero spirit who just ignored him. He had lowered his sword instead. His head cast low as he averted his eyes.

The sudden change of attitude of the spirits had sent all the summoners in panic. After all, they were all pretty useless in battle as it was their spirits who do the attack. Jorya sweated. She did notice that the Spirits were siding slightly with the blonde mage but she didn't expect that all of them would _directly_ defy their masters. She especially didn't expect Andromeda to hesitate, she was counting everything on her!

"Andromeda, you got to be kidding me! You should attack her! You hate her, right!? We had a deal!" she reminded her. Andromeda flinched as she remembered that.

"It's your entire fault, Corona!" The Crown spirit's master had taken out his whip and slashed at the poor spirit, taking out his frustration and anger by attacking his own. Some mages followed suit in hope that the whipping would straight them back into action.

"Hey! Stop -" Lucy tried to tell them off but Leo put his arm up to stop her. "No. Just watch" he looked at her.

"But . . ."

"Pyyuuu" Corona Borealis fell down in one whip, turning to golden dusts as he went back to his gate. The other Spirits followed and also forced their gates to close under the pretense that their master's 'punishment' had rendered them too injured to remain. The number of mages still available on the field immediately went down. The other mages stopped attacking their own spirits after realizing what was going on.

Jorya pursed her lips. "Are you seriously going to fall for this!? Look closely! You're falling exactly to her plans! She just wants you to defy us like what Gemini did with Angel!"

Andromeda's hands shook. _That's true . . . She could have done that just to win us into her favor . . . but . . . _her eyes looked fixedly at the shards of lacrima that litter at the crimson sand. _But . . ._

"_Even if you say that, it doesn't mean you don't have feelings! Getting left alone in that dark place . . . every time I think of that . . . I know it's sad"  
The straw-haired young man that was her master looked at her with worried eyes as his hands shook a bit in frustration._

_But . ._ . tears begin to fall down her eyes. Those words continued to ring in her mind. She had treasured those words deep inside her heart, no matter how deeply she was hurt because of it. _I thought . . . I thought that a person like her shouldn't exist . . . all humans are greedy traitors . . . _She had lost faith in humanity ever since her previous master. The betrayal she experienced was too painful that she could no longer believe in them. She had begun to hold doubt in every human. But . . .

. . . She felt the sincerity in her voice.

She couldn't attack even if she wanted to. The familiar feelings she thought she had lost resurfaced and became over-flowing. She couldn't move as the tears continue to fall down.

"Why are the spirits acting like that? It's just a simple lacrima! Heck, even if they still view it as a part of themselves, doesn't that just mean she broke the arm of their fellow spirit if you think about it?" Rohini tried to reason at the situation.

"It seems that you don't even understand your own spirits . . ." Erza looked at the other two summoners with disdain. "Even I, who is not a celestial mage, can see the anguish the Spirits held against those lacrimas." Gray and Natsu just stood there silently in the corner, watching the events unfold.

"What . . . ?" Rohini was about to retort back but he saw Ara at the corner of his eyes. The altar stood there, still blindfolded but her head turned into the direction of the blonde mage. His eyes widened in shock.

_Drop . . . Drop . . . _Tears begin to flow into the tube as Ara began to cry. Rohini couldn't believe it. The altar had lost her tears since long ago. Even numerous tortures won't make her cry anymore. They could only take her tears at least once a year and they had taken what little they could the previous month in preparation for this battle. She shouldn't be able to cry . . .

Aquila closed his eyes. _That's right. For us, those lacrimas are not simply a source of power and wealth to be practically used. For us, those lacrimas are our tears and blood. It was the materialization of our pain and grief. It would always remind us of human greed and cruelty. . . _he glance at the chained lady who had a conflicted expression on her face as she remained unmoving. His cold mismatch eyes showed the slightest hint of emotion. _For us . . . the lacrimas are nothing more than a symbol of betrayal from our own master. . ._

_So seeing those lacrimas being broken to a thousand shards of crystals scattered on the blood stained sand . . ._

_The very act of Lucy Heartfilia refusing to use it . . ._

_The Spirits could not have felt any more grateful. They had not even realized how much they hated those crystals humans use for power._

"Andromeda! If you're going to be useless, then I'll just summon another spirit!" Jorya yelled at her. Andromeda's eyes widened as she remembered her deal with her master. '_No . . . I can't get him involved . . .' _she thought. She had made a deal with Jorya on his behalf, she have to defeat the blonde celestial mage in order for him to no longer need to participate in their plans.

She clenched her fists. _I have to move or else . . . _she thought forcibly. _That's right . . . I need to attack . . . it was easy before. . . I just need to remember . . . I have to attack . . . don't hesitate . . . what she did was only a ruse to have us in her favor . . . even if she did it for pure intentions . . . _she remembered the young man with straw-like hair and sincere heart. She remembered the monster in skin of man in the dungeon. Her black eyes returned to a colorless void as she remembered the betrayal . . . _Right, even if it's true or not . . ._

_. . . She will end up just like Bahram . . ._

Lucy began to move and started attacking the other celestial summoners. Leo backed her up as Sagittarius kept on shooting off the enemy's keys. It wasn't much of a big deal since Elysian summoners were useless in the fight without their keys; their Spirits even refuse to move to defend their masters.

Setting up her mind, Andromeda began to summon her chains again. _I have to fight . . ._

But it was too late.

"Jorya, use him!" Bahram commanded. It was originally their plan, but his granddaughter pleaded that she wanted to fight the celestial mage using her own power so they decided to postpone it. Now though, he decided that _he _was needed after all.

"No!" Andromeda pleaded but Jorya only looked coldly at her. "Just so you know, this is your fault" she told her as she uncorked a bottle with clear liquid inside. She drank Ara's tears, refilling her magic power. She wiped her mouth with her wrist as she took out the rabbit's silver key.

"I open thee, gate of the rabbit, Lepus!"

And the small boy with white bunny ears and quite huge front teeth came out of his gate. His watery brown eyes looked fearfully at his master. "W-What is i-it, m-m-master?" he stuttered at her.

She looked down on him. "You know what to do" she told him. Lepus trembled as he remembered the order he got yesterday. The hunter's knife hanged heavily on his belt. "Please . . ."

"Stop! I can fight! There's no need to get him involve!"Andromeda pleaded for him.

"Silence. You've done nothing, and grandpa considered that it is time to use him. You know the consequences of defying my order right?" she glared back at her disrespectful spirit. _I'll get back at you for defying me. . . _She looked down on the small boy. "Take out your knife" she commanded.

"B-But –" the poor spirit tried to speak.

"NO!" Andromeda cried at her. Her master glared at her. The metal choker on Andromeda's neck began to glow red hot. Jorya had inserted one of her magic cards, _Absolute Order_, on the accessories of her own Spirits. It worked like a slave collar. She thought that it was very effective at putting discipline on her spirits to obey her.

"_Do it" _she pressed on.

The chained spirit began to feel the burning pain surge through her throat and spread to her entire body. "A-Andromeda!" left with no choice, Lepus took out the knife from its sheath. His hands were shaking.

"Attack her" her eyes had turned cold. Lepus gulped as he slowly turned to point his knife at the mage who was fighting a crowd of mages. His hands were shaking as he turned the blade to the person who saved him, the only one who had treated him with respect and affection. The only human who didn't look down at him with judgement and disgust . . . He closed his eyes as he dashed to attack.

"Lucy!" Leo warned her as he felt the danger.

Just in time, she caught a blur of brown and green coming to her direction. She took a step back, dodging the flash of shining metal that attempted to attack. The miss had caused him to stop short and skid to the ground, tripping over the change in acceleration and he fell down with a crash.

Jorya's fists clenched. "You . . ." she glared at her tiny spirit who had _purposely_ missed. She knew how fast and accurate the celestial was.

"Lepus!?" Lucy's eyes widened as she saw the familiar spirit who gave her the flower.

"Pick up the knife and fight properly!"

"Please . . . I'll do it!" Andromeda pleaded, she knew how much Lepus liked the celestial mage. Jorya won't get angry as long as she pleaded it. And just as she thought, her master seemed to agree to it. The choker stopped burning. ". . . Then strike to kill. If you don't, it will be Lepus who will suffer" she told her coldly.

Andromeda's eyes widened as she thought of tainting her hands with blood. Normally, she wouldn't have the power to strike her with those strong Celestial Spirits guarding her but she was severely weakened and almost left unguarded as she was shocked with the Rabbit's appearance.

She summoned the chains.

_"DON'T!"_

The loud and strong defiant voice had surprised everyone. It had come from no other than the weak and helpless Rabbit, no one would have expected that there would be such strength in his voice. "Don't attack her . . ." He slowly got up from the ground, using his quivering arms for support. "This . . . isn't right . . ." he faced the human girl who saved him, the knife in his hands shaking as the corners of his eyes were with tears.

"Hah? Who are you to tell what's right and wrong? You should only obey your master! Attack her! Or is it that you want to suffer yourself?" Jorya threatened him.

"Suffer? Master, you should know that I've _been_ suffering these past decades. Are you really asking that to _me_ now?" he turned to her, courage took inside his heart as he let his feelings out. His eyes held fire in it, a flame he had kept deep within him. For the first time in his life, he became defiant.

He threw the knife to the ground.

"I'm a Celestial Spirit! It is our duty to protect our contractors, but that doesn't mean that we will do it blindly! Everyone had changed. . . Do you realize the faces you have right now? Do you see your heart!? I . . . I will protect everyone . . . my fellow spirits from your cruel hands . . . and also all the celestial mages in here . . . At least, I'll stop you from tainting your hearts and becoming darker! I won't harm anyone!"

Jorya's face screwed up in rage. "You talk back to me!? Are you insulting me right at my face? I don't need any more shame from you. _Attack her" _she activated _Absolute Order._

His belt began to glow, red hot like heated iron. He felt the pain surge through his stomach. He screamed in pain as he fell down to his knees.

"Stop! What are you doing!?" Lucy panicked.

Jorya laughed. "What are you going to do now? With my _Absolute Order_, you have to do as I say or you'll experience pain. You Spirits won't follow unless I do this, are you still going to defy me?"

Lepus tried to look up at his master despite the pain. Tears flowed down into his cheeks. Grinding his teeth to keep his self from shouting, he managed to make one of his eyes open to look at her even though it felt like his intestines was being grinded to fine meat and being electrocuted. "I . . . I won't fight . . ."

She was surprised. Her eyes widened and she instinctively took a step back. His brown eyes were filled with burning determination she never thought he have. She had never seen the cowardly spirit with such an expression on his face.

_"It's because you are such a weak mage . . ."_

She remembered those words. '_That's right. They were defying me because they think I'm weak, not someone worth to follow'_ anger bubbled up inside her chest. '_For even a weak and measly spirit like Lepus to defy me. . . Do I look like someone to be taken lightly!?' _

She glared at the blonde celestial mage. _'It's all because of her. Her existence makes me look like a laughing stock!"_

She gritted her teeth in anger. "Fine! Then suffer for your ungratefulness! I bought you even though you are nothing more than a trash! I've spent years trying to make you stronger no matter how hopeless you are! And this is how you're going to repay me!?" she raised the punishment level to maximum.

He screamed in agony and pain as he writhed to the ground. His cries echoed throughout the coliseum, they couldn't even imagine what pain he was going through. They could only look at the little boy in pity as he thrashed and screamed on the ground.

"Stop it!" Lucy cried.

"Stay out of this! This is his fault for not doing as I say" Jorya glared at her. _This is all because of you!_

The people at the stadium just stared at the poor celestial spirit, no one did anything as it wasn't their business. Andromeda fell to the ground and cried, covering her ears in an attempt to stop the agonizing sounds. "Please . . . stop this . . ." she couldn't move from her spot, Jorya wanted to punish him. She could attack the mage once and for all but Lepus told her not to. He pleaded at her. _"Please don't do anything. This is _my_ fight."_

But she couldn't take his screams any longer. She had to stop this. She summoned her chains.

_"No . . ."_ Lepus managed to call out to her through spirit's telepathy. He seemed to know what she was thinking. _"Don't do as they wanted . . . Let me endure this . . . You're the one who said we got to be strong . . . right?"_

She flinched at his words. Lepus was always among the kind and passive Celestial Spirits. He hated violence, and won't harm a fly. He would rather run than fight, this was why he was always labeled as the "cowardly spirit". His nature would have made anyone forget that he was among the stronger spirits out there. His attack and health might be low, but that doesn't mean that he was weak. No, this was his way of fighting. He would endure anything if it was for the sake of the people important to him.

And Andromeda couldn't do anything but watch. No one could do anything . . .

. . . _except one person._

Lucy ran to him, wanting to help. Even if he was her opponent's own Spirit, she won't just stand by and watch any person who was in so much pain. Truth be told, she haven't even thinking anything about friend or foe. For her, spirits were all her friends that she would help and protect as best as she could.

She tried to hold him but he rolled to the ground, shoving her hands away. He was convulsing and screaming. _W-What do I do?_

"Lucy!" Loke jump to her and defended from another attack. A gush of wind blew at her. "Where do you think your looking? Did you forget you were fighting with me?" Jorya smirked. She could still fight on her own even if her own spirits refused to do it.

Lucy glared at her. "You . . . what do you think you're doing? He's your own Spirit!"

Jorya scoffed at her. "Oh please, can't you see I'm punishing him? It's his fault for not following the contract."

"You shouldn't make him do things that he doesn't like!"

"Hah! You're saying that because it's not your life on the line. His insubordination could cause me to lose my battle. What are you gonna do? It's your fault anyway, since he doesn't want to attack _you_. Should I just let that slip when you're my enemy?"

Lucy went silent. It wasn't like she was completely wrong about that. But this level of punishment was too much! She has Celestial Spirits with their own level of stubbornness, and she had managed to reach a level of compromise with them. One shouldn't rule Spirits with an iron-fist.

. . .But saying that to her won't help. She has her own beliefs cemented on her mind, no words would crack it. And talking further would just prolong his pain. His screams echoed throughout the coliseum, his agony ripping at her heart. She couldn't take it anymore.

"_With my _Absolute Order_, you have to do as I say or you'll experience pain_" she remembered Jorya's words.

A thought came to her. _'That's right! She said that he was in pain because he wouldn't attack me. Then that means . . ."_

Leo was holding off Jorya's wind cards. He gritted his teeth as he shielded his master. He should attack that straw-haired summoner.

"Andromeda! Put the cage around me. You can do that at least, right!?" Jorya yelled, knowing what he was planning. The Lion was a melee fighter, as long as he doesn't come near enough, he couldn't do her harm.

Andromeda did as she was told, she should at _least_ do that for the contract. "Prison Chain!"

Chains sprouted around her master, forming a dome like a bird cage that spun around her. Jorya kept attacking with her Wind Cards, the wind passing through the holes of her chains.

Leo was having a hard time holding off the attacks without a chance to retaliate. Sagittarius was still shooting the keys off the other summoners that tried to attack. That was when they felt a cold chill on their backs, a sign they felt whenever their master was in danger.

They immediately turned and found her kneeling on the ground, hugging the poor Celestial Spirit in pain. She picked up the knife he dropped. The blade of the knife gleamed ominously against the light.

'_If he just did the order, then the pain would stop right?' _she thought. Lepus doesn't even have the strength to scream anymore, he was so frail like a vegetable. His eyes were already half-closed, strength have left him.

"Lucy _don't!_" Leo warned her.

She put the knife in his hands. His eyes widened as he saw the gleam of the damn blade. He looked at her fearfully, pleading. He wanted to scream for her to stop but he knew the only sound that would leave his mouth was a scream. The pain torturing him soothed down a little as he held the knife, but it didn't lift the dread filling him.

"I'm sorry."

She smiled at him. Bruised and all, she still managed to smile for him.

Her hands wrapped around his and directed his limp hands, tightening around the handle of the knife. Lepus could only look with horror as she forced him to stab her.

"NO!"

Crimson blood spread from the wound, tainting the white porcelain skin of her stomach. She coughed blood.

"Why. .. why?" Lepus managed to cry out. The pain from _Absolute Order_ had left him completely.

Her Spirits felt the force pulled them down as her magic energy supporting them wavered. They felt heavy, like the earth's gravity on them as their own ethernano clashed with the nature's flow. _'Ugh. . . at this rate, we'll either be summoned back or Lucy will die from magic exhaustion'_ Sagittarius thought. He fell to his knees.

"Lucy!" Leo ran to her as she fell.

Bahram smiled widely. "BAHAHAHAHAHA!" for the first time, the cruel man laughed out loud. "Fool. What a fool. I knew that this would happen. You think that your love for your spirits is your strength but the truth is it's your fatal weakness."

Leo glared at him. "You . . ." _This was such a cheap and dirty method_

He smiled wickedly as he looked down at the bleeding celestial mage. Yes, this was his trump card. Lepus might be weak but he was the best weapon against this all-loving mage. She wouldn't be able to attack such a weak and frail creature. And whether he attacked or not, she would still gain damage for she would never be able to tolerate his agonized screams from Jorya's _Absolute Order._

In the end, her love for spirits was her vain.

"Weakness . . ?" Lucy smirked, blood trailed from her mouth. She already lacked the strength to stand up but she still managed to glare at him. "You think I lose already?"

Bahram narrowed his eyes as he looked at her suspiciously. Rohini laughed. "You're fatally injured. You lacked strength. With three spirit summoned, you will run out of magic and lose. What can you possibly do?"

Then the ground rumbled.

"Wha - !?"

"This is –"

"Kyaaaaaaaaaa!"

People lose their footing as the ground rose and ruptured. Water erupted everywhere, flooding the whole pit.

"Hime-sama, I did as you commanded" Virgo appeared behind Lucy. She smiled as she held on to Lepus, the water level was around her waist and the hole The Maiden made had continued springing water like a geyser. The reason she had chosen to summon Virgo was for this. _This is more than enough._

Rohini's eyes widened as he realized with horror what was going on. "No! With this much water . . ." They had made sure that no form of water would reach her. They even used magic to make sure that it won't rain or anything. They went through so much trouble to prevent the summoning of one of Lucy Heartfilia's strongest keys. Just one flood from _her_ would have wiped out the whole team.

They didn't expect that she would use the water underground!

"Ugh. What do we do? We're going to be knocked out if _that Zodiac_ comes out!" Nesh yelled as he was carried by Orion.

Bahram sweated. "Are you this serious, child? That Spirit has a very bad temper. You can't even control her! You are going to be wiped out along with us. With that much injury, you might die" he warned her.

Lucy looked up at him, smiling. "Yeah, she has a very bad temper. She does what she wants, and usually hated me. She's the most troublesome, actually. But that's okay, that's who she is. I love her that way. I don't treat my Spirits with an iron-fist like you do. We reached a level of compromise. As long as I can protect what's precious to me, then it's fine even if I'm the one to suffer!"

She turned to Sagittarius and Virgo. "Thanks a lot, you can go back now" she told them, and with that they returned to their gates. She felt the drainage on her body lessen as her flow of magic went back to flow into one gate only.

Bahram was shocked by her. ". . . You're _mad_. . ."

"Maybe," she took out her golden key, the symbol of The Water Bearer gleamed brightly. "But I have no fear, I trust her with my life!"

And with that, she thrust her key into the waters. "I summon thee! Gate of the Water Bearer, Aquarius!"

She gathered the remaining energy on her body. From the magic flow from one of the Golden Gates, she redirected the majority of her energy into her hands and into the Golden key. She should have enough magic for one more summoning. Even if she had to risk her life for it, she would make sure that she would be summoned. The Golden Key shone brightly as the gate began to open.

. . . Then she felt the huge drain in her body and she fell down.

_Huh?_

"Lucy!" Leo caught her before she fell. She felt limp and tired, with little energy left. Needless to say, she was shocked. _My summoning failed? Why? I thought I . . ._

Bahram touched his beard. "Hmm. You ran out of energy? That's too bad. Your little plan would have worked well if you had just taken Columba's buffing lacrima. Oh wait, maybe it would have worked well too if you didn't let Lepus stabbed you. I'm guessing the wound have caused you to lose concentration and made you spill lots of magical energy from multi-summoning. . .

"Isn't that right, son?" his eyes narrowed at Rohini.

"A-Ah, yes!" he answered, sweating. _Damn, we shouldn't have promised that we wouldn't get involved. . ._

Truth be told, there was a good chance that Lucy could still summon. But then, Rohini used a spell he learned from his father. _Magic Drain,_ it was a spell to drain the magical energy of a weakened enemy and gain it for his own. It would work as long as the vital energy was lower than a certain level.

_No one would have noticed, right? _He began to worry. He acted on his own will, but this would lead to an immediate loss due to cheating. They had a deal to not participate in the fight, after all. _Did father noticed? It doesn't seem like it. Well, I did it for the good of this village. No one would blame me._

"Lucy, hang in there! You can't lose" Leo called out to her. She was breathing heavily. Her legs and arms were numb. She was barely standing up thanks to Leo who was holding on to her.

Bahram looked at them. "But this is strange . . . Your master almost have no energy, how come you're still unaffected?"

Leo flinched. _Did he found out?_

Bahram smiled. "My, my. I heard from Aquila that you have the ability to summon yourself and use your own power instead of your master for a certain period of time. Could it be that you're using the power stored in your ring instead of your master's? You do realize that being unable to summon any spirit is equal to forfeiting the Celestial Duel."

Leo sweated. _Dang! He knew!_

"No. . . I still have . . . one spirit summoned. . . I can . . . still fight . . ." Lucy managed to say, despite that she was already losing consciousness.

Bahram looked at her coldly. _Still flailing, I see. You could barely keep your eyes opened. _"If that's the case then you wouldn't mind if we add some spice to this game, do you?"

Leo became cautious. ". . . What do you mean?"

He was soon answered as all the gates into the pit opened, releasing all the monsters it hide. Chimeras and beasts came out of their cell.

"You . . ." Leo clenched his fist in anger.

"This is only appropriate. Since you made our own keys useless" Bahram told them.

Their situation was dire. There were still lots of enemies standing up and Lucy was losing consciousness. Leo couldn't hold everyone up by himself. His magic power was about to run out. . .

. . . _But I have to fight . . . I can't let Lucy lose. I don't want to lose her. . . _

The monsters growled as they encircled them. Gnashing their teeth and showing their claws. They were ready for the kill.

He looked up the sky, the Heaven's stars and moon shined down on him. _Please, I'm begging you. Let there be a miracle. . ._

Then all the monsters went for them, wanting the taste of the celestial mage's meat. He lit his fist up, readying for a losing battle.

_"Wait!"_

Maybe someone heard his wish. Just as when he thought that everything went hopeless, an angel beauty with short white hair and bright brown eyes descended upon them.

* * *

. . . o . . .

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FINALLY! _END OF CHAPTER_!

_A roller coaster ride! What would be the end of this Celestial Battle!? Find out next chapter!_

LONGEST CHAPTER EVER! So glad I finally finished it! Thank you for everyone who patiently read and reviewed, favorite, and followed this story! Feel free to comment or criticize.

Comments on this chapter:

_"We're not in a manga or something, you think you can win with your talk? Win with love and friendship? That is no longer the way,"_\- Hahaha, shout out to manga xD Just kidding.

_"Fools" Erza said as she watched the events unfold with her other teammates, "Not everything is about power."_ \- This coming from Erza xD

See ya! And leave your comments behind! :D


	12. Verse 12: End of Battle

**Hello everyone!**

Chapter 12 is finally here! Thank you for waiting! I won't delay your reading with long speeches this time so . . .

Enjoy!

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**Spirits Bio:**

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**Perseus **– He was a young man who looked like a novice adventurer with his leather vest and battle boots. His hair, blonde but turned black at its tips, was spiky that sticks out to his left. He had stormy black eyes that would seem domineering if not for the touch of kindness and compassion it possessed.

Power: _Empowerment –he gets stronger when he fights to help others / Ability Manipulation – he can change his stats accordingly to his need_

Likes:_ cool things, justice, adventure, (Andromeda)_

Dislikes: _injustice, villains, the friend-zone_

Bio: _Due to his nature as the Hero, he had the tendency to help others even if it means to sacrifice his self. He is very kind and loyal to his friends, fierce and scary to his enemies. Do not be fooled by his looks, even if he seemed like a novice, he is a veteran who is highly skilled in many different areas (thanks to his ability to manipulate his own stats, he could allocate his points in dexterity, power, intelligence, agility, or speed). He could use any kind of weapon expertly but his specialty and preferred weapon was a sword._

_A not-so-secret thing about him was that he likes Andromeda. Actually, the whole celestial realm knew about this except the girl herself, and she remained oblivious to the fact. One could just imagine his joy when he found out that Andromeda actually liked heroes (this was due to the time when she viewed her master as a hero once). And one could only relate to his sorrow and disappointment when he found out that she never viewed him that way, and she liked someone else. Still, he remained to her side to support her always. Unfortunately, because he was too nice, she sees him only as a friend. _

**-:-**

**Berenice **– a young woman with long golden hair and beautiful bright blue eyes. She wore a white Egyptian dress, golden necklace and a fitting belt inlaid with elaborate jewelry. Her headdress was a golden ring in reminiscent of a coiled cobra that was about to strike.

Power: _Hair Magic – she can control her golden hair accordingly to her will similar to Flare's Akagami. Her magic, however, was more advanced as she could harden and sharpen her hair so it wasn't only for stabbing but also for slashing. This magic was not only good offensively but also defensively as her hair was thick and long while every strand can be manipulated single-handedly._

Likes: _Her hair_

Dislikes: _short hair, scissors (especially Cancer's), anything that could damage her hair_

Bio:_ Berenice really loves her hair to the point that one could receive her wrath by simply cutting the smallest part of it (even though she could just grow it again in a matter of seconds). For her, "the hair is a woman's pride". She took care of her hair really seriously even when she fights. She could harden her hair to the point that no one could cut it aside from the really special blades inlaid with magic. Her magic was very useful and flexible in lots of ways; she could make any weapons, shield, or rope, she could even make a very nice and comfy bed out of it thanks to its silky texture. Her hair can continue to grow in accordance to her master's magic energy._

_Once, she had gotten into a serious fight with Cancer for cutting her hair while she was unaware. The battle was only resolved when she found out that he had only done it due to the fact that she had split ends. She was so horrified at the news that she fainted._

**-:-**

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. . *. O. * . .

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**Verse XII  
End of Battle**

_Everything was dark. The light of the torch outside had died and vanished since long ago. The stones were cold and rough, crawled with moss and wet with the water droplets that dripped from the ceiling from time to time. The chains that tied her up were colder still, biting to her flesh with freezing coldness. Her hands were bound to the wall, while her feet to the heavy iron balls to the ground. Even her neck was not spared, the metal choker pressed strongly at her neck, strangling her to keep her down at the wall._

_Silence, there was only silence in this room. The only sound to hear was the falling drops of water from the ceiling and even that sound was soft and fading, as if it came from far away. She used to cry or rage in this room, her screams echoing to the empty space. But now she grew tired from the pain, even her voice seemed to have left her. She was left to hang limply to the wall, left to muse in this cold darkness that enveloped her with only the pain in her heart and soul. _

_This was her punishment, she knew. For she had committed the worst sin, she was punished. This torment was even light compared to the punishment of the high heaven if she had succeeded. Banishment and death was what only waited for sinners like her. Still, she didn't regret it. She would _never _regret it. If she was given the chance, she would do it again. She would kill her own master._

_Tap . . . tap . . . tap . . ._

_Footsteps, soft and short, reached her ears. That was odd. No one would have visited her here aside from _him,_ and he wasn't supposed to come for days to summon her back. She doesn't need food or water. She won't die no matter how parched and starved she was. _

_Then orange light leaked from the edges of the oak doors banded with iron. She heard the jingling of the keys and the clicking of the lock. The door opened with a loud creak._

"_. . . So you're grandfather's troublesome spirit . . ."_

_For a moment, it was blinding. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness that the sudden light had hurt her eyes. The torch lit up the dungeon she was locked up in._

_She didn't answer her. Her eyes had adjusted and she saw a child, a little girl with eyes and hair so similar to _his._ Dark charcoal eyes looked at her with curiosity as she studied her up. Her straw-like hair was tied in twin tails. The child smiled._

_ "You want to get out of here, right? Then make a contract with me!"_

_With outstretched hand, the child had given her the offer of freedom._

"Wait!"

The young lady with short white hair and bright brown eyes dropped down from the sky. She took out a golden key, it shined at her hands. "I open the Gate of The Scales, Libra!"

The portal opened, revealing the celestial spirit with tanned skin color and dark hair tied in an ox-horn style. She moved the scales dangling from her hands to her front, lowering the gravitational pull on her master. The young woman with angel beauty, landed gracefully to the ground.

"Yukino!" Leo called out in surprised. He didn't expect that the other Zodiac summoner would be here.

She turned to them, her fierce gaze turned to worry as she saw Lucy Heartfilia in verge of collapsing. "Lucy-sama! Leo-san, are both of you alright?"

"Well, thanks to you. I thought we're going to become foods for this raging beast" he answered.

"Lusshiii! What happened!?" Happy cried from above as he saw the grave wounds his friend had taken.

"Happy!? Why are you here?" Leo was surprised to see them here right now. Not only him, he saw the other Sabertooth guys land on the audience seats with their respective exceeds.

"It's a long story!" Happy yelled out in summary. Leo would want to hear it, but they have no time to elaborate the story with everything that was going on.

Yukino's eyes turned serious as she took out another key. "We're here to save you."

"Nonsense!" Rohini bashed his fist at the terrace wall. "How dare you interfere with the duel? Outsiders are not welcome in this battle!"

She glared at him. "You call me an _outsider_? Didn't you tried to hire me to fight against Lucy? I'm a celestial mage! I have the right to join this fight!"

Bahram brushed his beard. "I see. You wished to assist her, treacherous child. Unfortunately, this battle ends when the challenger is no longer fit for battle. The partner is of no concern. And as you can see, the child could barely stand, let alone summon any more celestial spirit" he told her.

That was true . . . but there was still hope.

Jorya had dropped on her knees as she watched the scene unfold. Oblivious to the world that was happening around her, she didn't even realized the water reaching up her waist. Her eyes were only gazing at the heavenly blessed mage in front of her.

She bit her lip. ". . . Why?"

_Lepus, the frail rabbit she only had taken pity of, had dared looked at her with those glaring defiant eyes. . ._

". . . Why?"

_Andromeda's cold and disdainful eyes . . . it would turn warm when looking at _that _mage._

". . . _Why!?_"tears welled up at the corner of her eyes as she looked at the blazing brown orbs the blonde mage possessed. They were on the verge of closing, tired from the pain and exhausted from battle, but . . . those eyes refused to give up. It carried power she would never have, a soul full of determination she couldn't compete with, a strong will that was admired by all.

Everything Jorya wanted, she had.

The scene where she stabbed her own self for the sake of the Spirit she doesn't own replayed on her mind. How the frail silver spirit had been suffering from her hands had been relieved of pain and saved.

_No . . . no . . . that wasn't right . . ._

That was the plan. Even so, she had hoped that it would never go to that extent. She had hoped that her spirits would follow her this time. Jorya was only forced to do it because Andromeda and Lepus refused to attack her enemy. It was her fault for injuring herself that way, she shouldn't have meddled to other's business. That was her bane, her weakness.

_"Weakness . . ?" Lucy smirked, blood trailed from her mouth. She already lacked the strength to stand up but her eyes still held those firm determination._

A familiar pain tightened at her heart. She could have laughed if she didn't feel like crying. _Again, you had brought yourself to the light, leaving me in the shadows. . ._

_. . . Pushing me into the darkness._

Jorya was nine years old when she had summoned her first spirit.

"_I open thee! Gate of the Minor Dog, Nikola!"_

_Power surged from her arm and into the key, making the gate opened at the tip of the silver key. From the portal, an oddly-shaped snow white dog with carrot-like nose and thick eyebrows stepped out._

"_Pu-pun!"_

_Little Jorya stared at it and broke into a big smile that reached from ear to ear. Her joy couldn't be more expressed as she saw him. Finally, after months and months of trying, she had finally summoned a spirit._

"_Father! Grandfather! Look! I've finally summoned a spirit!" she cried out at them, hugging the celestial in joy. Warmness spread across her cheeks as she nuzzled her head at those soft white furs. She turned to them, expecting them to be happy. _

_Her family had been nagging her for years to summon a spirit soon. She was never able to comply, but it was not because of her lack of trying. It was just that her magic energy was never enough to open the gate. There was even a time when she passed out from failed summoning, becoming sick for days. Not that it mattered to them, what they wanted were results. Her father would usually look at her with cold disappointment for still not having a contracted spirit. It had gotten to a point where he had taken two talented students under his wing in replacement of her._

_But now, she had successfully summoned. She was so sure they would be happy._

_Not._

_Their expressions hadn't changed. If anything, it had turned colder. There was no praise of acknowledgement, not even a smile or a pat. Her father just sighed as he looked apathetically at the silver spirit she was holding. _

"_Hahahahaha! So that's your spirit?" Nesh laughed at her after she showed him her first spirit. He would always make fun of her in any way possible._

_She glared at him. "What's so funny?"_

_He smirked at her, young Wendel was snickering behind his back. "Heh. It's just a pet spirit. Compared to other spirits, you almost don't need magic to summon them. They're useless" he told her._

"_Don't belittle, Pon!" Jorya yelled at him. Pon was what she named him. She had already been using all her energy just to keep him from going back._

_He just shrugged at her, his smug face smiling in mockery. "I'm just stating the truth. What? It took you a year just to summon a minor dog?"_

_Tick marks appeared at her temple. "I've been trying to summon other spirits too!"_

"_Oh really? It doesn't change the fact that you don't have any _real_ contracted keys. Just look at what I got," and, as if trying to prove a point, he took out his silver key and showed it right at her face. The symbol of the Hunter was curved into the handle._

_She looked at it in disbelief. "You . . . you _made _a contract _with _Orion!?" _

_He looked at her triumphantly. "Yup! He's actually my _first _spirit. And I made the contract _a year ago._ Pretty amazing, right? Come on and praise me."_

_She bit her lip. While it was remarkable that he could summon a fighter spirit (as they require more magic to summon) at such a young age, she still had her pride in her. She won't admit it. 'This guy is just too full of himself.'_

_So instead, she glared and pouted at him. "Shut up! Pon is a _real _spirit too, idiot! And that was nothing to boast about. There was actually a girl who can summon a Zodiac key!" _

_They looked at her with surprised. She smirked, their reactions were satisfying. Their jaws could almost hit the ground._

"_Are you serious!?" Wendel was unable to believe it._

"_Hey, don't lie. How can _agirl _summon a Zodiac? Besides, those keys were just legend. No one had even seen it" Nesh said, unconvinced. But he was obviously unnerved by it as a sweat ran down his cheek._

_Now it was her turn to smile. "Hah! That's what you thought! No one would see it because their _rare_. That doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Since I'm a Haspel, I know where they are. We had Aquila to gather the information."_

_Truth be told, she wasn't supposed to know that. She had just found that out when she accidentally eavesdropped at Aquila's report to her grandfather. Her father was so frustrated by the news that he hadn't let her eat for the day until she could summon a spirit. She was only able to get back when she had passed out for exerting too much magic._

"_That's just a legend! You believe too much in stories and fairy tales!"_

"_No. It's not!"_

_After that, they had gotten into a fight. Jorya had done a number on him before he summoned Orion who lifted her easily with one hand. He tried to separate the two peacefully until Rohini came and scolded the two. They were both punished._

Jorya Haspel was born weak. She was especially unfit to be a celestial mage as it was a job that required too much magic than it actually worth. But as she was the granddaughter of the head of celestial mages, she was expected to become a summoner. A Haspel were made of strong celestial mages.

. . . But she wasn't strong. She was not fit to hold the name.

"_Please, Aquila! There must be a way to summon a stronger spirit!" she begged at the Bird-man who had just came back to report to her grandfather. She clung to his legs and wailed at him. "Papa . . . I mean, father . . . want me to be stronger!"_

_Although the Eagle spirit had such a stoic face, one could easily tell that he was bothered as the complexion of his face turned pale. He looked at her carefully. "You're magic is too low for Celestial summoning . . ." he said that too bluntly._

_She pouted and wailed louder. "I know that already! That's why I'm asking for your help!"_

_He stayed silent for a while. " . . . I think it's better if you try other magic. Use other holder-type magic, it's almost the same with key-summoning. I won't recommend gun-magic as they don't fit you, but card- and ring-magic might work. Compared to Celestial summoning, they use little power. Why don't you try those?"_

_She looked at him stubbornly. "No! It has to be Celestial Spirit! I'm a Haspel! I need to make father and grandfather proud!"_

" _. . . I see. Then you can try to use both. I won't be able to guarantee it will be effective as Celestial mages aren't usually fit for two kinds of magic. But having both holder-type magic may work. It's rare for a celestial mage to have another kind of magic. . ."_

_She looked up at him hopefully, "You mean, I can still summon?"_

_He paused. ". . . Yes. I can see the potential in your soul." _

'_The problem was that you lack magic power' he didn't say those words. He knew that it would take her years before she could develop her reserved ethernano to use proper magic. Her family was impatient though, he was sure that they would force her to have magic by making her drink Ara's tears and giving her magic-enhancement accessories. The child was too young and innocent to know of those items. She doesn't need to know them yet._

But maybe it would have been better if he hadn't given that advice.

_Rohini slapped little Jorya hard._

"_You . . . You little . . ."_

_She looked at him tearfully, holding the throbbing red mark on her cheek. She couldn't even muster to ask why he was so angry. The magic cards scattered on the ground._

"_I . . . I tried my best to raise you as a celestial mage . . . and this is what you repay me!?"_

"_Wh . . . What did I do?" she finally managed to find her voice._

"_You dare learn other magic!? You're a Haspel! How dare you learn card-magic!? You think it's not worthy? What would other people say if they find out that a Haspel had chosen card-magic!?" _

_Jorya could only flinch at his every word. _

"_I – I didn't mean to. . . I just want to make you p-proud . . ."_

"_You think having my _own _daughter use card-magic would make me proud!?" her father was swelling up in anger, she doesn't know what to do. She had no idea why he was so mad at her. It was her grandfather that enlightened her._

"_Enough, son" Bahram stepped up and looked down on her. "This will not do. You haven't explained clearly what was wrong. Did you understand what you had done?"_

_She shook her head. He slapped her._

"_You little fool. Have you not realized how the numbers of celestial mages were dwindling? As the mayor of this celestial village and guild master of Lumino, it is my job to set a model example of what it means to be a celestial mage with myself and my family. People are starting to think that Celestial summoning is a poor kind of magic due to its high cost of power and sacrifice comparatively to its output. If they found out that even the granddaughter of mine started to use other magic, many villagers and members will leave!"_

_She gulped and looked down as she processed his words. "I-It's not like I threw away Celestial-summoning . . ."_

"_That doesn't matter. You're not even able to make a contract with a proper spirit. It's because you are such a weak mage, no one would make contracts with you. You are the shame of this family."_

_That hurt her pride. Her first contract was a real and proper one. He was still a silver spirit, why does everyone belittle her and her spirit just because he can't fight?_

_Maybe it was because she was repressed so much in her entire life or maybe because they insulted her spirit, madness over took her. For the first time ever, she had dared talk back to her family._

"_Hah . . . Then what do you want me to do? I tried my best to do a summoning for you but it's still not enough. I had finally made a contract, but you all disregarded that. Now I've found a magic that could fit me, which I could do properly without shame, and all of you were blaming me like I've done such a terrible crime."_

"_You . . . you dare talk back to us!?" her father was so agitated._

"_So what!? Did you think I'm going to stay silent? That I'm going to be sorry because I'm not like _Heartfilia's daughter_ who could summon a Zodiac!? Did you think I'll get magic powers just because you wanted me to be!?"_

"_Jorya, I am warning you to stop and apologize now . . ." Bahram quietly told her in a domineering tone._

_But she didn't listen and continued on. "I won't! You insulted Pon!" she stubbornly said. _

"_Pon . . . ?" her father was surprised and clueless on what she was talking about. He doesn't know her spirit's name. Her grandfather had caught on, however. He understood what she was trying to say, and these words would be her regret in the future. She didn't know that Bahram doesn't like kindness being shown to spirits._

_He touched his beard as he looked down at her. His face and voice was calm, but one could tell that she was in trouble. "Pon . . . Jorya, do you know why you haven't made a contract with anyone? It was because you lack power and authority. Power, we could supply to you but the problem I can see is with your personality. You are being too soft-hearted and passive, spirits won't show respect and follow you because they think you're such a wimp."_

"_No, it's not. Pon always listen to me!" she told him. She didn't realize that she was nearing the border of his patience._

"_Hm? Is that so? Then prove it to me. Summon him now" he told her. His patience had run out. She hesitated. She knew what was going to happen._

"_No. . . You're going to hurt Pon . . ."_

"_You think he can do anything for you? I'll show you how powerless and weak you are" he pushed on, holding up his hand._

_She bit her lip, not knowing what to do. Cornered, she said something she should never have._

"_You're saying that I should treat my spirits with iron-hand. That I should have authority and show my power, but what about you? Even you can't do that! I know that you have a spirit locked down in the dungeons because she kept defying you! Even you can't control your spirits!"_

_Only then had she realized that she had crossed the line. The Chained Spirit was a taboo subject, especially in front of the elder._

_She felt the cold chill behind her back as she looked at her grandfather's face. She shivered._

"_Master, if I may speak . . ." Aquila appeared to intervene. He had just been watching quietly since earlier, but he had taken pity to the child. He felt bad for her sake._

"_What is it?" Bahram would only listen to him at times like this due to his renowned reputation of being a wise-spirit. All his knowledge and wisdom was not something to be ignored. "The child knows nothing . . ."_

"_Is that all? Then move, it is time I teach her" his tone was dangerous._

"_What I meant to say, is that there is a better way to make her understand. It is two birds with one stone. Maybe even three . . ."_

" _. . . Then speak" Aquila could tell that he was barely holding his anger. He was actually really furious now. He was just keeping focus with his rationality. One wrong move and they were both dead._

"_The key . . . give _the chain_ to her . . ."_

"_Have you lost your mind? Or do you want to join her? That spirit won't listen to anyone"_

"_That's what I'm saying. Let her experience it for herself so that she will understand the problem of establishing authority. Not to mention, she's the only passive key who was trained to fight. She might be the only fighter-spirit that Jorya could summon. If she succeeded, then it will be great for your reputation. If not, then she should learn her lesson."_

_Bahram stayed silent._

_He knew he was treading on thin ice. "This is the only way. There's a higher chance that she'll choose her. She'll do anything to be free. You can't keep her forever," he pressed on. _

_Everyone was holding their breath for his final decision. The young ones doesn't know what they were exactly talking about. Only Aquila and his master knew the history of the Chained Spirit. Finally, after a seemingly long silence, he turned._

"_Alright, try to make a contract. If you could hold the chain, then I will approve of you using those filthy cards."_

_Jorya was relieved, she thought she was going to be punished. Her thoughts weren't wrong though._

"_But . . ."_

_Jorya's eyes widened as she felt a heavy force pulled her down. She couldn't move. "No . . ."_

_Aquila leaned down and took out the silver key from her hidden pocket. She could only look in horror. "No. . .!"_

_Pon's key was placed to Bahram's hands. "I will be keeping this. For this spirit will only make you weak. If you want to take him back, then prove me wrong. Use your way to make your spirit stronger. However, if you or your spirits still haven't become stronger, you won't see this key ever again. This is for your sake too. You will only be viewed as a wimp with worthless trash like this."_

"_No . . . please, don't! Please . . ." she begged. But her cries of plea were unheard. No words could make him listen and change his mind after he had made a decision._

Now that she thought about it, that was where everything had taken a plunge to the abyss. All her life, she had been compared to the Heartfilia child. She was always nagged to summon a fighter key at least. But since she had lacked the power, she was only able to summon weak celestials and make her own style of fighting.

She wasn't great or anything, so no one had ever acknowledged her. Even her own spirits would defy her. She had lost hope. She thought that the whole life was about who was strong. She had strived for power and lost herself in her desire. She had turned cold toward others and no longer cared. She would step on everyone to get onto the top. She would prove to them who she was. She would make everyone acknowledge her.

But she could never get to the spotlight.

. . . Because of the existence of _Lucy Heartfilia_.

She was the so-called "Wonder Child" who could summon a Zodiac spirit at the age of seven. She was the child beloved by all, in contrast with her who was frowned upon. She was the respected genius with a warm and kind heart, while she was the despiteful mage who have to punish her spirits to have them follow her. She was beautiful, she was ugly. She was admired, she was hated. She was strong, she was weak. She was in the lime light, while she could never escape the darkness. Everything she wanted she had, while Jorya was deprived of everything she desired.

Wouldn't it be normal to hate her? She was the cause of her misery. If it wasn't for her, her father wouldn't demand her of the impossible. If it wasn't for her, there wouldn't be a comparison. If it wasn't for her, she wouldn't have realized the ugliness of her heart. Even her own spirits betrayed her for that woman.

Yes . . . She was _envious._

There was no point on denying it. But what she envied was not her strength or power, not the number of keys she held, not the reputation and family she have. What she envied was _love_.

For this bright girl was loved by all._ She was loved by Spirits._

Jorya hadn't even realized this until now, as she watched her bleed just to save the silver spirit she doesn't own. She envied that love she had for them. That was what she wanted to be. But she lacked the courage, she lacked the will. The love she had for them, the love they give her. Wasn't that what it means to be family? If she had someone like that, would she still turn this way?

She could only kneel down in despair. There was no point thinking that. She had no excuse for her actions. She would always just be the worthless one ignored by all. Wanting to prove otherwise had only caused those close to her in pain.

"Master . . ." Andromeda looked down on her.

_Was she being sarcastic?_ Jorya thought. _She had never viewed me as master. I'm only a leeway for her to get out of my grandfather's prison._

Andromeda kneeled to her.

". . . What?"

Her Spirit had looked at her with eyes she had never seen before. She couldn't even describe it. The insolent and cold anger those black orbs had was gone, instead, it was of serious and . . . _pleading?_

That couldn't be right. That was too out of character. Andromeda could be considered one of the proudest spirits. She would never beg or plead to a human. Even bending the knee was unthinkable.

"Jorya-sama," she called out to her as she lowered her head. _She had never regarded her with such respect. _"Please, I beg of you. I am willing to maintain the contract and serve you fully for your entire lifetime . . . so please, help that girl. You're the only one who can. . ."

Jorya stared at her. "Ha . . . haha . . . hahahahaha . . . HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

For the first time in her life, her stubborn spirit had finally showed respect to her. But in the end, it wasn't for _her. _In the end, everything was still for that girl blessed by the heavens. _What a joke._

Andromeda was surprised at her reaction. She thought she would get angry and yell at her. She had braced herself for the punishment for asking such treacherous words. She was just trying because she was the best shot they got.

"Me? Help _her? _Why on earth did you think I would do that? Besides, do I even have to? She got back-up, and they got all the zodiacs. It's her win."

Andromeda bit her lip, bent her head lower and put her hands on the ground. Jorya had never thought that the day she would get into such a position would come. "Please! You know that she is on the verge of collapsing. Also, she got to finish this herself to stop all arguments and doubts. You still have some left, right?"

Jorya could see she was shivering, well that was normal since she was asking such an outrageous request to her. She knew so well of the consequences but still she did it, all for that mage. She could only laugh at the ridiculousness of it.

"You . . . you really wanted to spit at my pride till the end, do you? I can't believe you . . ." she said in a tired voice.

Andromeda flinched. It's not like she didn't anticipate her refusal, she already knew it was a long shot. But she was wrong.

A small bottle of clear liquid was thrown to her front. She looked at it in surprise. She didn't expect this at all. "This . . ."

Jorya sighed as she looked up, hiding her expression. "Take it. It's my loss. I don't care anymore."

"I . . . t-thank you . . . I am forever in your debt, mas –"

"Forget it. I'm not your master too. You're free now. That was what you ever desired from the beginning, right? Go ahead and make some contract with that mage if you want."

Andromeda looked at her, "B-But . . . why?" She could no longer understand her actions.

Jorya looked at her and smiled. It wasn't an expression of joy or sadness or anger. It wasn't even sarcastic or anything. That expression she had given was only a tired smile. She was just simply tired of it all. "I've given up. I've always known that I'm someone powerless and unworthy. After all I have done, I have no right to wield the celestial keys. That's why I don't care anymore. You're free from the contract too. Celestial summoning is not for someone like me. Why did I even try?"

Andromeda clutched the bottle at her chest, frowning. This sight of a young girl who was full of pride and ambition, falling to despair and giving up was just too depressing. Even Andromeda had found this sad for this wasn't the usual Jorya she had known.

"What are you looking at me for? Go ahead and give that to her."

Andromeda took a step back and nodded. She turned to the fainting celestial mage.

Jorya watched her go. "Good . . ." and with that she had closed her eyes and fell to the water. She had overexerted her magical energy with dual-summoning and card magic. Even with the help of Ara's tears and bluffing brooch of her cloak, she had still pushed herself to the borders of death.

Andromeda threw the bottle at Lucy's direction. It fell into the waters in front of the Lion spirit. _"Leo! Use that! Even Ara will agree to it if it's for our sake"_ she told that through telepathy.

He immediately grabbed the bottle, knowing what it was. _"This . . . But why. . . ?"_

"_It's my own thank you for saving Lepus from pain. Nothing more or less . . ."_

"_I see . . . thank you, Andromeda. I know this had cost you a lot."_

Andromeda had turned away and walked back. "_Your master . . . I hope she doesn't change like all humans do . . ."_

"She won't" without hesitation, Leo uncorked the bottle and poured the tears into his master's mouth.

"This. . . what. . .?" Lucy felt magic power surge back to her. "Just drink . . . It's just a mana potion."

"I see. You wished to assist her, treacherous child. Unfortunately, this battle ends when the challenger is no longer fit for battle. The partner is of no concern. And as you can see, the child could barely stand, let alone summon any more celestial spirit" Bahram told Yukino. He was focusing too much on her that he didn't even notice the exchange that happened between Leo and Andromeda.

"You're wrong! Leo might not be counted because he summoned his self. But there is still one spirit left!"

Bahram's eyes widened as he looked at the source of the voice. Behind him was another Lucy, her brown eyes flaring in anger. "You are . . ."

Lucy smiled as she wiped her mouth. The amount of magic recovered was too small for summoning, but it was enough. "That's right. I still have Gemini left over there."

Bahram laughed. "So you intended this spirit to fight? I still got twenty mages left and a few chimeras. You lack the power to summon anymore and Yukino won't be able to summon Pisces due to the water. It's better if you give up now. . ." _I know how the magic of Gemini works, so it's easy to prevent. However, the problem would be the Thirteenth key. It's the most powerful of the Zodiacs, but it seemed that she doesn't plan on summoning it for some reason. She should have done that long ago if she was going to._

Yukino looked at her opponents. She sweated a bit. She had known this village for a long time, and because of that, she knew they also have items that could defect gravity and spells to counter its pull. If they were using that, it would be hard to fight with Libra. She couldn't use the other keys; Pisces won't be summoned with all these waters around, Denev won't be good for fighting this many beast, and today wasn't on the list of days that Ursa could be summoned. _It would be great if I could summon Ochiupus . . . but I've used up the time I could summon him when I fought with the snake child._

"I can . . . still fight," Lucy tried to stand up by herself as she recovered the little magic energy she had. She walked closer to Yukino. "Gemini!" she called out to her Spirit.

On cue, Gemini ran and jumped, kicking Bahram and Rohini. The village mayor managed to dodge and deflect the kick, Rohini who was caught off-guard had been hit square in the face. He fell, skidding to the ground. Gemini landed to her master's side.

"You . . . how dare you try to hit us when were not even participating the fight!"

"It's never stated in the rules that we can't hit you" Gemini reasoned as she stuck out her tongue . She just have enough of these two's cunningness.

"Turning to such low and sneaky attacks, you must be desperate . . ."

"We don't want to hear that from you! Ganging up on a single girl, making use of her love for spirits to injure her, and using _beasts_ on a Celestial Duel instead of summoned spirits! That's just despicable!" Yukino threw back at him.

"She was asking for it. We are not to blame for her idiocy," he told them.

"It's not idiocy to protect everyone!" Lucy stepped up beside Yukino. She held her hand.

"Hah! What can you 'protect' with that state?" she was already beaten with little magic left.

She took Gemini's hand and her spirit in turn, took Yukino's other hand. Together, they form a back-to-back triangle. She gave Yukino a meaningful look.

Bahram's eyes widened as he realized what they were planning. "Impossible! You plan to use _that_ magic with three people!? It's only luck that you managed to pull it off one time and Yukino doesn't even know that spell!"

"This . . ." Yukino hesitated. It was true that she never casted that spell before. It was one of the greatest spell the Celestial mages possessed. But then, she met with Lucy's eyes who smiled at her reassuringly. "It's alright. We can finish this, just follow my lead . . ."

She smiled back and nodded. And so they chanted the spell. They began to glow with golden brilliance as they recited the verses.

"_Survey the Heavens, Open the Heavens..._  
_All the stars, far and wide..._  
_Show me thy appearance..."_

"You're really going to cast it!? If you fail, there will be a huge rebound! You won't recover from it!" he warned. But that was just a threat to stop her. That was the _Ultimate Magic of the Stars_. If they successfully casted it, it will be their end. He looked at Nesh and the other mages who was still standing. "What are you doing!? Stop them!"

"_With such shine._  
_Oh Tetrabiblos... _  
_I am the ruler of the stars..."_

They flinched upon being called so suddenly. They were entranced by the heavenly divine power that was being emitted by the trio that they were unable to move quickly. However, with the order, they started to move. "Orion, shoot!" Nesh commanded. Anyone would do as long as the spell was interrupted.

But then a flash of light blasted at them, throwing them away. Leo stood with his fist lit up. "I won't let you lay a hand on them."

"_Aspect became complete..._  
_Open thy malevolent gate."_

The spell was continued to be cast. Yukino and Gemini let their magic flow through Lucy, lending her the power to call the stars. She felt the divine energy of the heavens descent down to her, filling her with power. Spheres of light lit up the whole coliseum. Their glow was so bright and beautiful, they make the light from the torches seem dim and dark.

"No . . ." Bahram knew the end of that spell was also their end.

"_Oh 88 Stars of the heaven... _  
_Shine!_  
_**Urano Metria!"**_

And the spell was casted. Their hazel eyes glowed gold as power surged out of them. The gathered magic was released in forms of hundreds of heaven spheres zooming out of them. They glowed brighter, it was blinding. People screamed as they were hit. Bahram could only stare in shock and horror as the light reached him.

Everything turned white.

* * *

. . . o . . .

* * *

**End of Chapter**

_Finally, the Celestial Duel had reached its climax! What will be the conclusion for each and everyone? Next chapter is the end of the Celestial Village Arc!_

I've already stated this, but the principles of magic and summoning is my head-canon. This is what I've understood from my readings of the manga.

Though this arc is my way of doing justice for Lucy's character. Celestial spirits and mages were looking like mid-levels, if not push-overs, compared to the other OP characters that were swarming in the manga. I plan on explaining why the Celestial Spirit's power were so limited. There will be a lot of explanations. I want this to be as head-canon as possible so you could view the manga this way. ^^;

For the story of Jorya, I hope I conveyed it properly as well as other characters. She was just a poor kid who was raised wrongly, so her ideas went the wrong way (that won't excuse the acts she had done). Almost everyone here will have their own tragic story, with the exception of a few. Anyways, she helped me quite a lot in explaining how straining it is to be a celestial mage as well explain some things about it. She also helped show how talented Lucy really is.

Like it or hate it? Do you have any questions or confusions? Did you find mistakes? Feel free to ask and tell me!


	13. Verse 13: The Lost One

Hello everyone!

This is the thirteenth chapter! Woo hoo! I won't put Spirit's Bio this time since it's the last one and this chapter is pretty long.

**ANNOUNCEMENT: Sorry for the re-upload. I just want to tell everyone that I've made a poll to see which story of mine you readers would like to be prioritize. It's on my profile for now so check it out :)**

So enjoy this chapter! :D

-:-

* * *

. . *. O. * . .

* * *

**Verse XIII  
The Lost One**

Everything was white.

Despite the strong power of the attack, he felt a strange tranquility washed over him.

". . . What's this?"

In a white field, where there was nothing else but him, he stood alone with that sense of lost. A dark hole, deep and unknown to him, had given a strange feeling in his chest.

"_. . . Bahram . . ."_

His eyes widened and stared at his back. That familiar sweet voice that called out to him had set his heart hammering to his chest. _No . . . it couldn't be. . . _

The girl stood behind him, amidst the smoke that seemed to make her fade away any moment. He stood there, unable to make a move. It felt like if he did anything, she would vanish. She smiled at him. Just like the old days, her smile was always the brightest.

_You . . . No . . . why are you here? You shouldn't be here! You shouldn't be smiling at me! I . . . I . . ._

Yet his hands betrayed him. Shaking, his hands slowly stretched out to reach her. Quivering in fear and doubt that she will vanish the moment he touched her.

He had betrayed her. He had feared facing her again after everything he had done.

"NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

A woman screamed. He knew that voice. That was the voice of his beloved. Quickly he turned to her.

And he was back to the old quiet room with that double bed that had white curtains hanging limply over it. He was back at the same place from his old memory. He was back at _that _time when he was helpless and couldn't do anything. Again, he was standing beside the bed, watching his wife suffering.

"_Bahram . . . please, if you truly love me . . . for the sake of everyone . . . please . . ."_

The same plea that she kept repeating over and over whenever they were alone, her cries that he never listened to . . .

_. . . Until it was too late._

* * *

. . . 0 . . .

* * *

Natsu stared at the spatial boundary that was erected. All along he had been watching with Shishio and the others .This was space magic, he knew. And maybe it was a good thing that this was casted in time, but he still found these space walls very annoying.

_Back to the time when Lepus was still under the influence of Absolute Order . . ._

"_LLLUUUCCCCCCCCCYYYYYY! NNNOOOOO!"_

_Natsu cried out in worry as he clung to the railing, watching helplessly as Lucy coughed blood from the blade that pierced her. Fury bubbled up deep inside his stomach. He didn't even realize that he had set his fist ablaze. _

_He didn't know who to direct his anger to. All he knew was that he needed to get there and save her._

_Without thinking, he jumped into action and was about to send people flying with his punch . . . but then his fist caught with an invisible wall that was suddenly there. "Wha-!? What is this!?"_

_The colors inside the room slowly became distorted, moving in waves like the surface of water. Everything turned black and white aside from them. Time seemed to have frozen. The stones from the crumbling wall were still in midair. Even the flames from the torches have stopped from dancing. _

"_This is!?" Erza knew that this was some form of spatial magic. She turned to the source._

"_You bastard . . . what do you think are you doing?" Gray clenched his fist in anger as he stared angrily at the blue eyed young man who looked back coldly at him._

"_What do you think you're doing?" he asked back at them. "Are you planning on interfering with the duel?"_

"_Duel? This is no duel! This is an unfair battle!" Gray yelled angrily. He already lost his cool from all the dirty tricks these people just kept pulling off._

"_Whether this battle is unfair or not, it isn't for you to decide. The rules are stated and both sides acknowledge them. If you interfered recklessly, she will only lose this battle . . ."_

_The whole area had become black and white except of them who were not affected with the time pause and the pit where the battle was still happening. A barrier was surrounding it though, making them unable to run to their friend who was still fighting. It was like they were watching through a glass wall._

_Natsu was no longer listening though and tried to break through the barrier. However, the walls just refused to budge. It was like punching through thick leather surface, except much harder and denser. It was only absorbing all his attacks, not bulging a bit. _

"_That's enough. Your attacks are futile here. We are already in a separate dimension" Shishio told them._

_Erza glared at him. "You . . . who _are_ you?" she knew he couldn't be just a simple guard. _

_He only smiled at her. "I'm just a guard."_

_She frowned._

_Gray was able to cool his head down first. Fishy or not, it was true that carelessly barging in could cause more harm than help for Lucy. He'll deal with the shrewd guy later. _

_His fire-headed friend however, continued punching the barrier. He stopped his fist._

"_Natsu, that's enough. What you're doing will only bring trouble and burden Lucy more."_

_Natsu was grinding his teeth in anger. "I know!" he yelled at him, his head low, shadowing his eyes. Erza and Gray stared at him in shock. _

"_I know that! I really know . . . but . . ." his fist clenched even more, shaking, his nails dug deeper into his skin. "It's frustrating! Standing here . . . unable to do anything! I don't know what else to do!"_

"_There's no need for us to do anything" Erza suddenly told him, her stance resolute. _

_They stared at her._

"_Look at her. Lucy still hasn't given up. As her partner, you should know more than anyone else what she is capable of" she said with confidence. As long as there was still that blazing fire in her eyes, she will believe to the very end._

_It was true that the only thing they could do was to watch and trust their friend from the sidelines. Natsu was just too used to being the one in battle that watching his friend in danger and not being able to do anything at all was something that he doesn't know how to deal with._

_But there was something even Erza couldn't stand._

_And that was when Rohini drained her magic out of her. She already saw it happen once in the grand magic games, and she had suspected and confirmed interference. She knew that someone dared to drain her magic before she could use it. The problem was she didn't know who did it._

_She clenched her fist. It was happening again. She knew her potential and power, but if all the odds just kept on going against her . . ._

"_Don't worry, she'll win" Shishio suddenly told her, smiling._

_She stared at him, startled that he suddenly talked of encouragement. She didn't know whether to trust this man or not but . . ._

"_I know" she said turning away from him, slightly ashamed that she had that moment of doubt._

_In the end, they were surprised to see Yukino with the twin dragons come to the rescue. Erza didn't realize that Happy and the two of the dragon-slayers they were facing earlier were missing. She had just assumed that they were separated when the spatial barrier was casted like with Bahram and Rohini who wasn't included._

_Lucy and Yukino joined forces and casted the spell together with Gemini. Now that she thought about it, the Twins were never summoned back, Lucy had put the spirit on stand-by to watch over Natsu who might recklessly interfere with the duel. Now that they were trapped in Shishio's barrier, Gemini's hands were free to help her master._

_And _Urano Metria_ was casted. It was her first time seeing it to be casted fully. It was a very beautiful and powerful spell, she knew. But she couldn't help but still be amazed as they watched in awe as the heaven spheres burst with blinding light. For a moment, they couldn't see anything but white._

"So . . . it ended . . ."

Natsu said quietly, as the light slowly faded.

Erza couldn't help but break into a smile. She saw Gray grinning too. Their hearts were racing with joy. They didn't even realize all the tension and anxiety they were feeling as they watched the whole battle.

Shishio released the spatial barrier, a small smile in his lips.

"Luuuucccccccyyyyyyy!" Natsu wasted no time and jumped into the pit as soon as the barrier vanished.

Dust and smoke were still filling the air as many people fell to the sandy ground at once, making it hard to see. The smoke slowly dissipated as Natsu ran to the center.

The spirits were all returned as their masters were unconscious. There was only one person still standing at the center aside from him. Wait, _one!?_

"LUCY!" a worried voice cried out.

Natsu jolted. Worry took over joy in his heart in an instant. As he skidded to a halt, he saw Yukino holding Lucy in her arms. She was pale, she lost too much blood.

The others were running to them too.

"Quick! Call a healer!" Gray yelled out to no one in particular.

"There wasn't any! All of them fainted from the spell earlier!"

Natsu kneeled beside her. "Lucy," he called out to her in worry as he put his hand on her cheek. He immediately checked on her wounds. She was full of scratches and small bruises. He wasn't a medic but he saw a bandage on her leg that seemed bad. Her stomach was still bleeding which he knew was really bad. They needed to stop it.

"Does anyone have clean handkerchief or anything available to wrap her with?" Yukino asked out, gently passing Lucy to his arms. Her clothes were already filled with dirt from the fight. It wouldn't be wise to carelessly use that.

That was when a small girl's voice called out to them.

* * *

. . .

Lucy's hazel eyes slowly opened. Her body felt way too heavy and tired from moving. She knew the familiar room. She was in her bedroom back at the apartment. She was still dazed from sleep, but she knew from the pain in her body that she had just gotten back from a very dangerous mission.

_Mission?_

She got up. Slowly, she remembered piece by piece the events that happened. _That's right! I'm in a mission! Why am I back in my apartment!?_

"Lushhiiii! You're awake!" the blue exceed jumped to her chest.

"Happy? Huh? Wait, why? What am I doing here? What happened?" she was still confused.

He paled as he looked at her worriedly. "Wah!? Did you hit your head? Don't you remember? You got into this very big fight!" he cried out at her.

At that she remembered the Celestial Duel, the village, the spirits . . . her eyes widened, fully awake now. Ignoring the pain throughout her body, she immediately got up from her bed, throwing the blanket away.

"That's right! The spirits!" worried, she immediately tried to stand up but then she still hadn't fully recovered. Strength left her legs and turned wobbly with sharp pain. She stumbled and almost fell but then someone caught her.

"Woah there! You just woke up, rest first. Everyone's alright except for you" a male voice said right beside her ear.

"N-Natsu?" she stammered, she didn't realized he was there. Happy smiled despite the situation. _Hehe, they were hugging each other._

Realizing their position, she blushed. Natsu put her back on bed and she pretty much obliged, embarrassed.

"AH! How were everyone!?" she immediately asked.

"I told you, everyone's fine. _You _are the one who sustained the most injuries" he told her.

Lucy sighed in relief. "I . . . I won right?" to be honest, she was finding it hard to believe. She had never won such a big battle before. Everything was like a blur, things happened too fast. It wouldn't be a surprise if it was a dream.

He grinned proudly. "Yeah, you did."

She smiled from ear to ear, fully relieved.

"But . . ." someone tapped his fist on her head. "You're an idiot, why did you dive into battle alone" It was Gray's. He gave her a gentle smack since she was still injured.

"Gray?"

"Yo. How are _you _feeling? You slept for like a whole day" he asked her.

"That's right. You made everyone worried" Erza nodded.

"He he. Right, Sorry everyone" she smiled shyly. Now that Lucy looked around, she saw that everyone was entering the room. Sting and Rogue with their respective exceeds, Lector and Frosch, entered as Yukino informed everyone that she was awake. She barged back into the room and held her hands. "Lucy-sama! I'm glad you're alright now!" she cried at her.

"Yukino! Thanks for helping me" she smiled at her. She was really grateful for her to come to her rescue. She smiled back, though she was still crying.

"Hmph. I told you guys to stay outside and give our patient enough space" a familiar mature voice of a female exceed reprimanded them. "It's alright. I'm sure everyone wants to see her" a young girl's voice followed.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Wendy! Carla! What are you doing here?"

They smiled at each other in greeting. "Eto, Carla was worried and so we came to check on you. And here we are" she told her.

"That's right! And they came just in time. You collapsed right away after the battle and you were bleeding badly. It's a good thing Wendy came to heal you right away" Natsu said, patting the little dragon-slayer in appreciation.

"But that reminds me, what made you worried to come check us, Carla?" Gray looked curiously at the exceed.

Carla was slightly unnerved as she remembered her dream. "I-I just saw a premonition that you guys are in trouble" she told them. _That's right. Maybe the dream was telling about this. . . Broken buildings . . . bodies on the ground . . . It was just the celestial duel. _She tried to convince herself. What she saw may be the broken coliseum and the villagers who were unconscious, nothing more.

_But the song . . ._

In the midst of the ruins, a beautiful voice could be heard singing a solemn and powerful song.

_When the worlds cross and stars collide . . . it was just referring to the Celestial spirits and the battle that transpired between them . . ._

But that would mean that "the end" would come. _No, that couldn't be right. What I dreamt of may be just a normal dream. It was just a nightmare. Even seers like me could have a normal dream from time to time, right?_

They all chatted of what happened and exchanged jokes with each other. Natsu and Sting talked about their guilds while Yukino cut and peeled the apples. Gray and Erza reprimanded Lucy for being quite reckless but were still amazed on the skills she showed in the duel. Rogue still his usual quiet self but he watched everyone with a smile on his face. Lector was boasting to Happy and Frosch. Wendy examined over Lucy's wounds and confirmed that there were no major wounds. She would be up and about after a day's rest.

"All right everyone! Visit time is over, she needs rest" Carla said herding everyone out of the room. Natsu and Gray protested, while the rest were more understanding. They left her to give her some time to rest more.

"See you later!"

"Get well soon!"

Lucy smiled and waved at them as they left. Truth be told, she would prefer some company to talk with. But Carla was right. Having everyone in the room would only lead to chaos no doubt. The boys always like having a physical fight. She was still too tired and achy to handle all the chaos that could ensue with them. Besides, she rarely get peace and quiet. Natsu would always find a way to wreck things up.

"Ah, that's right" she had regained quite an amount of magic after resting. She took out Leo's golden key and summoned him.

"My princess! Are you alright!?" he called out quite dramatically with his usual princely aura. Lucy almost face-palmed, now that she was safe and all, he went back to being his normal self.

"Yeah, how are everyone in the Spirit world?" she asked worriedly.

"Well, we're fine. Everyone was worrying about you though, even those who fought against us. But really Lucy, I'm glad you made it out of there alive. You gave us a scare. Lepus was especially sorry" he told her.

"I'm sorry for worrying you" she told him with an apologetic smile. "Lepus? It's not his fault, really. He shouldn't blame his self. I'm the one who did this to me. I should be thanking him actually".

"Yeah, we told him that. Anyway, worry about yourself more. Aquarius is really pissed" he warned her.

She paled. She knew how terrifying the Water Bearer could be when angry. "E-Eh? Why?"

"You're asking me that? You had just practically staked our contracts in the duel just now" he told her. "I got to say, I actually agree with her. What are you going to do if you lose?"

Lucy stared at him. Leo looked at her with all seriousness. He was also frustrated at the fact that they almost lost their contract. But what she did next surprised him.

She hugged him.

"Ah, Lu –"

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry for worrying you guys. But . . . I will never_ ever_ stake any of you. You're not a prize or a token to be given. You're all my friends. . ."

_We know. That's not what we're frustrated about . . ._

"That's why . . . When I saw other Spirits suffer . . . I couldn't look away or turn a blind eye to it. I have to do something or else I won't be able to face you anymore . . ." she shook a bit as she said those words. He hugged her back to sooth her.

"So I staked my pride as a Celestial mage. If I wasn't able to do anything, I won't have the face to show you anymore."

"Lucy, we know. We understand. . . We're not angry that you, in a technical sense, 'staked' the contracts. No, what we are frustrated about is that we almost lost _you_. You know how important you are to us right?" he told her. Tears flowed from her eyes. _Actually, the reason we all tried to stop you from going here is because we had predicted you would get reckless and fight._

Just losing their contract with Lucy was quite unfathomable to them.

Lucy was, in a way, relieved to hear those words from him. Even though she didn't directly put their contract in the bet, it was still true that she had put them on peril and dangerous situation. "It's a good thing that we won. I don't know what to do if I suddenly have to change master" he smiled at her as he looked her up and down again.

A small smile curved her lips and she slightly punched him in the arm. "Silly, as if I'll ever give your keys to them. If worse come to worst, I'll hide all of you away where none of them could touch you. I'll never let them have their way" she said, swearing that she would make sure they were in safe hands as long as she lives.

"What about us? What are you going to do if you have to give up being a mage? You can't quit Fairy Tail!"

Natsu suddenly chirped in through the window. He got this bored (or was it annoyed?) expression on his face. He sneaked back into the room since he wanted to say more to her.

"Natsu?" Lucy was shocked to see him, although she should have been used to it already since he had been practically barging into her room every day.

"Hey, answer my question. If you wanted to fight, you could have called for me. We are partners, right? We fight together!" he said. The thought that he could never go to missions with Lucy again was quite terrifying for this fearless mage.

"Eh? W-Well, it's not like I'm planning to quit . . . maybe, I'll just change jobs and become a waitress like Kinana and Mirajane. . ." she told him, scratching her cheek.

Tick mark appeared on his temple. Although relieved that she wasn't quitting Fairy Tail no matter what happens, it was still not the answer he wanted."And how are we going to missions?" he crossed his arms.

"Missions? I guess I can't have missions if that happens huh?" it wasn't like she really thought a lot about the consequences of losing. She was concentrating her energy on winning.

"WRONG ANSWER!" Natsu snapped.

She jolted, quite surprised at seeing that very annoyed expression on his face. "What are you talking about? You still _wanted_ me to go to missions? That'll be hard! What am I going to do without magic?"

"Figure that out yourself. We're still partners. I'm not going to let you quit without my permission!"

" . . . That's quite selfish" she sweat-dropped.

"What did you say?"

"Now, now. Everything went smoothly so there are no problems. Anyway, let's go on a date to appease my worried heart" Leo stepped in.

"That reminds me. . . It was you guys who were stopping me from going to the village, right?" Lucy suddenly caught him off-guard. She had figured that out after thinking back. Misfortunes always happen whenever she planned going to Elysian village.

"Umm . . . well . . ." Leo sweated as he looked away.

"Geez, although I admit my faults, you shouldn't have kept this a secret from me. I would have done something sooner . . ."

He sweated further. The _very_ reason they did that was to stop her from doing crazy stunts like this one.

"If you did that, then I would at least be able to prepare. But I guess it's also my fault since I didn't notice your discomfort. Anyways, it's sad that you kept this a secret from me."

"I-I'm sorry!" It was Leo's turn to apologize this time.

Natsu understood what she meant. Having the person you trust the most hide something serious was very hurtful. Lucy sighed. "It's alright. But I don't want you guys to hide something from me. We're friends so confide to me when you're troubled."

Natsu grinned. "Well, I guess that makes it quits."

"Now, about you. How many time had I told you not to barge into my room like that!?" she quickly turned to him. "This is my apartment!"

Now she was back to her usual self, he knew. "Technically, this is not 'your' apartment. This is your hotel room" he told her.

"What?" Now that she thought about it, she remembered that the hotel they were staying at had modification feature. "Argh! That makes sense! Why would anyone bring an injured person to a train when there's a place to rest nearby? Anyways, you still shouldn't have messed with my room features!" she yelled at him.

"I thought you'll be homesick."

"As if!"

And just like that they went back to their usual routine. None of them had the slightest idea of the tragedy that would soon to follow.

. . . o . . .

Meanwhile the villagers were having trouble. Since they all lose the duel, many spirits left their masters immediately. Most of the villagers felt quite lost after losing their spirits since they pretty much depended on them for everything. From battles to chores and money-making, they let their spirits do them all. Now that they were gone, they don't know what to do. It had just hit them how important the Celestial spirits were in their lives. And though some may not admit it, they were also quite sad that they lost their long-time companion.

"Please, don't go!" Nesh had thrown his pride aside and bowed down to his contracted spirits in all fours. Orion stared at him with his usual expressionless face.

"But . . ."

"I'll do anything! I'll accept any conditions that you want, just please . . . let me keep our contract. I'll never let you do things you don't want to do ever again. I won't be mean or a jerk to you guys . . . please . . ." He knew he would always act like a brat around them. It wouldn't be surprising if they left without a second thought. But even if he was mean to other spirits, he still loved his own keys. He doesn't want them to be gone as he thought about it. Especially Orion whom he had always been with ever since he was a kid, he's like an older brother, a family.

It wasn't just him. There are also others who were begging their spirits to stay with them under any conditions. There are those who were lucky to have very kind and forgiving Spirits who had consented after revising contracts in their favors. Perseus agreed to stay with his master as long as he was a defender of justice and would apologize to all the people and spirits he hurt. Though there were also cases of spirits, like with Columba who was still recovering, who choose to leave their masters.

In general, those summoners who at the very least have love for their contracted spirits, admit their faults, sincere with their apologies, and were willing to change their foul nature, were given another chance by their spirits. Of course, many people tried to copy those who had success with courting their spirits back.

But Celestial Spirits weren't stupid. They know when a person was being sincere with their apology or not. Those who were rotten to the core were left without a second thought. Meanwhile, those who were apologizing just for the sake of keeping them were given reasonable conditions for contract renewal. Many were unable to accept them though since they got too used on being the one who gains. They refused to let down their pride.

The population of Celestial mages was suddenly reduced to a third due to this battle.

Jorya stared up at the starless sky on the tallest roof of their house. This was a place where she could watch everybody while still being hidden.

Her two spirits summoned their selves. She didn't have to look at them. Andromeda would have no doubt still bear that disdainful expression while protecting Lepus who was hiding behind her in fear.

"Why are you still here? Our contracts are severed after the battle ended. . . Or is it that you are looking for some kind of closure. .?"

"I'm here to fulfill the end of our deal" she said.

She whipped her head to her. "Are you insane? After all I've done? I don't even deserve to apologize to you guys!" she gritted her teeth in frustration. _I already accepted my fate!_

She hesitated, her head cast low. "It's true that you have done us grievous faults . . . but a promise is a promise. I've come to fulfill it."

"No need. I've done it on my own accord. You don't have to force yourself" she had enough with all these celestial summoning. She glared at the boy behind her. "And what about you? Why are you still here? Shouldn't you already be running to that mage? You're supposed to make a contract with her."

Lepus rubbed his head. "Well, it's true that most of us had thought of that. . . But if we do that, more than half of all the celestial keys will be in her possession. While that may sound a good thing, we know that it will trouble her greatly. Holding too many keys at once had never been a good thing in history."

"So look for a better mage" she told them. She knew there were many more deserving than her. It was a surprise that they were still talking to her normally.

"About that . . ." the boy looked at Andromeda and nudged her. She bit her lip.

"I . . . I know . . . I'm aware that I am also at fault too. I'm also responsible for what happened. . ." Andromeda said, looking down. She was still finding it hard to admit. "You have the potential to be a great mage . . . Aquila told me that, but I never listened. I never listened to anyone due to my hate. I'm afraid that it had caused you to be further pushed into the state you were in now . . ."

Jorya trembled. She was trying so hard to hold everything back. _Why are you saying all this mushy things now?_ Tears formed in her eyes. The tough shell that she was trying her best to show to these two was beginning to break.

"I remember . . . you are the one who saved me from the dungeons. You used to be very friendly . . . but I always looked at you with disdain. I'm sorry for that. It's just that you reminded me so much of your grandfather . . ." she rubbed her arm as she said those words. She wanted her to know this at the very least.

_No . . . stop. . . I . . . I don't deserve that . . ._ Tears began to flow from her eyes as she heard the words she longed to hear. She doesn't want to cry in front of them. That's the very least she could do.

"That is why . . . I know you were desperate to be a great mage, but I never cooperated properly. In a way, I am also a bad spirit" she said that.

She hid her face behind her knees as she began to sob. "What about you? All I did to you were bad things . . ." she was referring to Lepus.

He smiled at her. "Hehe, I wanted to be with Andromeda. Well, it's true that you are mean and scary but . . . You are also the only one who at least recognized me. Everyone had treated me like I'm worthless trash. It's been so long since someone had summoned me with other purpose than being a slave or amusement. I actually lost my confidence as I had forgotten my original purpose as a spirit. . ."

He was saying all those terrible things as if it was nothing. "You're very harsh. But at least you still viewed us as people, and not tools or money-resources. Others had to suffer having their bodies turning to lacrimas. Besides, it's also true that I . . . I went against the contract. I'm a law-breaker. The heavens should have punished me worse than that. . ."

"That's not true! You never went against the contract! You tried to help me! You did what you think is right! I . . . I'm the one who should be sorry. . . I'm the one who should be begging you. . ." Jorya cried out at them. At the very least, she knew that going against the contract was one of the worst crimes a celestial spirit could do. She couldn't let this innocent celestial spirit think that way.

Lepus admitting that he went against the contract was actually pretty similar to Loke admitting that he was the reason Karen died. Only that Jorya didn't die, but the contract was still severed due to his actions which was pretty bad.

Celestial Spirits, as ethereal beings, had views different from humans. While it may not seem so serious for humans, the act of breaking a contract was actually a crime worse than murder. It was especially worse if their said actions had caused great inconvenience for their contractors.

For Celestial Spirits, contracts are sacred. It was made under the Golden Law of the Heavens. Breaking a contract was one of the greatest taboo, and anyone who does so will be treated as worse than a demon. Demons, at least, still adhere to the rules and contracts they agreed upon. Law-breakers were rejected and excommunicated from the heavens, and there were worse punishments from that depending on the gravity of the crime.

"That's why don't say that. . . You . . . You were trying to help me . . . despite everything I've done to you. . ." she continued crying. "The reason you didn't attack . . . it's to stop me from tainting my heart any further right? So, please, at the very least . . . Don't even think that you're law-breakers* . . ."

Andromeda and Lepus looked at each other and nodded. They turned to Jorya.

"Then . . . Would you like to make a contract?"

They smiled at her. With outstretched hands, they had given her the offer of second chance.

. . . o . . .

In the middle of the night, the eagle-man flew up the highest tower in the Hapel household. He landed swiftly and precise on the balcony where the old man stood, viewing the rest of the village.

"I suppose you're here to break the contract. After all these years, you're finally free from me."

Aquila looked at the back of his master. Holding his cane, he still stood with dignity as the mayor of this village.

"Silent as always, huh? I guess this is our good-bye."

"Aren't you going to ask me something?"

Bahram turned to him. In his entire life, Aquila had never even once questioned him. If there was any, it would only be for clarification, and he doesn't remember him asking anything really, especially things outside of his task.

"What is there to ask? Isn't it you who's supposed to be asking me? I know, I've done a lot of questionable things . . ."

Aquila stayed silent again. Bahram stared at his stoic face, his mismatched eyes similar to that of an eagle was as piercing as ever. It was as if it could read right through you. Perhaps it does, given his high perceptivity.

"I suppose you hated me . . ." he said finally to break the silence.

"I don't really hate you. . ." Aquila answered.

He looked at him then back to the view of the Elysian village. "Hah. So you're indifferent. That is actually worse, isn't it? Neither love nor hate, you don't have any concern for your master outside of duty."

"I've watched humanity for a long time and met different people. Some are better, some are worse. The nature may differ but in the end, it's still the same. Yours is not a special case" he told him.

_So in the end, it didn't really affect you as long as you can do your duty._

"But . . . if I have to say, I guess I am feeling regret. Many spirits liked you when you were young, and I admit that I am one among them. You have great potential to be an excellent celestial mage but it was wasted."

Bahram looked down. "The old times, huh? Yeah, that time, things were really different . . ." he said softly as he remembered the past. "But everything changed, did you know why?"

"You changed due to greed . . . and loss, I believe" he answered.

He laughed a short and sarcastic one. "Yes, I did change after I lost everyone. Maybe greed had some part in it, but that wasn't the thing that set me off. . ."

Aquila remembered when they had discovered the draco's nest. He lost many of his friends, and eventually his wife. That was when they found out that the pillars were imbued with runes that would gather ethernanos nearby and turn them into lacrimas. That would explain why the cut limbs of spirits were crystallizing instead of dispersing like it was supposed to,

Bahram had summoned him multiple times to decipher the spell. Since the only thing left to him was the village, he wanted to keep it at any cost. At that, he shut everyone down, even his most trusted spirits. Only he was able to stay by his side. And as it was his duty, he obliged every order and applied the magic to the whole village area.

That was the tale as he knew it.

"What changed me . . . was betrayal. . ."

At that, Aquila was frowning inside. "There is no spirit that ever betrayed you at that time."

He laughed. "Haha. Yeah. You wouldn't have thought of it as betrayal. I didn't even know of it until my wife told me. . ." His looked and demeanor changed. "They wouldn't have died if you helped. No, even before that, it would have been better if Celestial Spirits never came here in the first place. . ."

Now he was curious why he would say such word. "Before I go, tell me your story."

"Did you know how Melissa died? It was because she was depressed after discovering the secret her father uncovered. That very secret cost him his life, she believed."

He closed his eyes, her voice echoing in his mind repeatedly.

"_Bahram . . . please, if you truly love me . . . for the sake of everyone . . . please . . ."_

"Celestial magic was among the ancient magic, it was among the first magic humanity had learned. It was among the Slayer-magic, and Time-magic . . . but even if they were from the same era, Celestial magic was still weaker than them . . . You Spirits possessed the power of heavens. You are supposed to be powerful creatures here on earth yet . . . why is that? Why is it that you didn't use that power to save them?"

He was referring to all his friends that died. If their magic wasn't too weak, they wouldn't have died.

"If you are blaming us for the death of your comrades, then I am disappointed. As a celestial mage, you should have understood that we are powerless in this world as this is not our home. We could only depend on the power of our contractors in order to stay here. Chaos would only ensue if the flow of spirit from different worlds clashed . . ."

Bahram nodded. "That much I know. But I've always wondered. . . Why you Celestial Spirits even bothered coming to this world and make contracts with us humans? With all the restrictions you have, and the amount we have to sacrifice, it really isn't a very productive magic. But now I finally know why . . ."

"_Please, if you truly love me . . . for the sake of everyone . . . please . . .  
You are the only one who could . . ."_

The wind blew at them and there was silence for a moment. He remembered his wife's words. . .

"_You are the only one who could destroy the keys . . . please . . .  
Destroy them . . . they will deliver Heaven's Judgement . . .  
. . . They will bring The End . . ."_

"You're here for 'The End', aren't you? The Old Master had discovered it after deciphering the texts of the ancient scripts. You Celestial Spirits are not here to help humanity, it's to watch over this world. Once "The One" had gathered all of the Twelve Zodiac keys, the _Heaven Judgement_ will come and destroy this world. . .

His expression was shadowed by his bangs. "Your existence here is to destroy us . . . and we blindly believe that you are our comrades, _friends_ to defend our lives with."

He breathed in. He never told this story to anyone. This knowledge would set the world ablaze and Celestial mages would be ostracized. He couldn't let that happen. But now was the time to learn the truth.

"Tell me, why would you want to destroy this world? Melissa died cursing your _Heaven Judgement_. I never believed her. And she refused to recover until I listened to her father's will. It was too late when I realized. For you Celestial Spirits, we are nothing more than a lynch-pin for you to stay here on Earth" he closed his eyes, he remembered that time when he was mourning.

_At that time, he sat in front of my friends' graves for days. Watching the clouds passed by, telling them how sorry he was for being useless. He didn't know what happened to their keys, he was more worried about their respective families. And his wife's dying words would haunt him every night. _

"_For the sake of everyone . . . please . . "._

_That was when he saw their keys that had been passed down or stolen. Despite their masters dying, they were able to move on and offer loyalty to strangers in only a short time. Smiling happily as if nothing had happened, forming new bonds. It made him wonder how they were truly feeling for their former masters._

"_Destroy them . . . they will deliver Heaven's Judgement . . ."_

_He saw Columba smiling as she served her new master which was a young girl. She was Jonas' former spirit. He died _protecting_ her. Even though she never dies, he protected her from any harm. Because she was support-based spirit, he became the offense who would always risk his life in danger. He once confided in him that he felt like she was his little sister. That was why he felt he was pretty much obliged to protect her even if it wasn't practical._

"_You are the only one who could destroy the keys . . ."_

_This girl had been living longer than them though. He wondered how many Jonas she had already contracted with. Those she still remember all of them? Perhaps not, losing people over and over again would have driven anyone mad or depressed. But this girl was still as bubbly and happy as they first met. But maybe it's also because they have different natures as they were immortals, they were used to people dying. They weren't fazed by death like humans do._

"_. . . They will bring The End . . ."_

_Maybe for them, human death was something so normal, they wouldn't cry over it._

_After that he studied the nature of Celestial Spirits, and after that he realized how different they were. They are creatures that were only bound by duty._

"Is that what you really think?" Aquila's voice had the hint of anger in it. His eyes narrowed at him. "Did you really think that my fellows don't care for their masters?" Celestial Spirits had been living far longer than anyone. Perhaps it was because of that, they served and would continue to do so for centuries, but they would _never_ forget the ones they loved. It was pain and sorrow to live forever, but they won't let that break them for they carry the memories of everyone behind their backs.

For their loyalty and love to be questioned like this was not something he could tolerate.

"We . . . had been following the Will of the King. We follow the rules as not to break the order of the world. I may not know the reason behind the contract, we had long forgotten due to time."

His eagle eyes glared at him, glowing gold and red. "I don't care what you say of me, I have long since thrown my emotions as to not let them get in the way of my judgement. But for you to _doubt_ everyone's feelings!?" he was truly angry for the sake of _her._

"I came here to ask you for the final time, not of your reasons for these vile actions but if you had ever wondered and worried over of that _one Spirit_ who loved you so much she was willing to become fallen. _She _sacrificed everything for you. _She_ was the one who was hurt the most by your actions."

Bahram's eyes widened at the mention of _her_.

Aquila clenched his fists so hard, it was shaking. He couldn't see the expression on his ex-master's face. His back was turned on him. It frustrated him. For this was the question he had always wondered about. He wanted an answer for this one.

"When you turned your back to everyone, _she_ was the only one you didn't want to know of it. Isn't the reason why you never called _her_ because you wanted to prevent _her_ from seeing your pathetic state? You couldn't face _her_ after everything you've done. But even when _she_ tried to kill you, you never let go of _her_ key. Instead, you locked _her_ in the dungeons so that the Heavens will have no more need of punishing _her_!"

"ENOUGH!" Bahram slammed his staff down. "I DON'T WANT TO HEAR OF IT! NO MORE! JUST LEAVE IF YOU WANTED TO!"

"You were stuck between loving a human or a spirit. You understood it was impossible for you to. . ."

"JUST SHUT UP ALREADY!"

"But you also loved Melissa. You couldn't help but carry out her dying wish. . ."

"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!"

"Now I understand . . ." Aquila looked at him calmly. "You . . ."

Bahram was breathing hard as he glared at his former spirit.

"You love Andromeda, don't you?"

_Silence. . ._

Bahram stood up properly, gripping tight of his staff. "Is that all you wanted to know?"

Aquila bowed for the final time. "That is all. And now I will take my leave" he turned away from him as he readied to fly. "It really is a pity, for things to turn this way. . ."

He paused as he thought of something to say. "Ah, that's right. As a last gift for you, let me tell you this. Andromeda is doing fine without you. . . Your granddaughter actually got the gift of a celestial mage even with your interference, be proud of her" and with that, he spread his wings to fly.

"Aquila!"

For the last time, Bahram called back to him. He looked back.

This old man, who used to be full of power and confidence, looked aged with all the wrinkles and sallow skin. But for the first time in decades, the shadow of his young self had shown its hints on his face, an expression of sadness . . . and _regret_. . .

He hesitated. "Do you think . . . Do you think she will ever forgive me?"

Aquila stared at him.

". . . I think you already know the answer to that."

And with that he left, leaving his former master forever.

. . . o . . .

The purple haired girl watched everything. She stood on the rooftop of the hotel, watching the ominous moon at the top of the warehouse. Her shadow snake slithered to her and she petted its head. She smiled. "You've done well."

. . . o . . .

Fairy Tail emerged victorious after a long and crucial battle. Freeing the Celestial Spirits from long-time suffering, everyone rejoiced of the end of the Celestial Duel.

But this was just the beginning of the tale.

As everyone celebrated in the lobby. . . as people danced and sing of victory. . . as the celestial mage rested for recovery. . . Shadows crept into the night to steal away the _precious one._ And tonight, as everyone lay asleep with their dreams, they will lose her without knowing. Tomorrow, at dawn, they will find an empty cold bed without any golden-haired mage sleeping soundly to.

Lucy Heartfilia, the beloved mage of all, was taken by _the night._

. . . O . . .

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**End of Celestial Village Arc**

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. . . O . . .

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

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	14. Verse 14: A Night Without the Light

Hello everyone!

Here comes chapter 14! The interlude between the prologue arc and the next arc!

Thanks for everyone who reviewed and liked this story. Your support really keeps me pump out and give me energy to finish this. Unfortunately for me, this is just about the starting line T-T A Never Ending Tale is a series I planned to complete with five books (at the very least) so . . .

Oh right! Speaking of reviews, one of you asked me this: "Why didn't Andromeda's "Prison Chain" break when Jorta used her Wind Cards to attack?"

Well, I thought I had already explained that in Chapter 11, but just in case. . . _Prison Chain _is a defensive mode where Andromeda's chains would form like a dome similar to that of a classical bird cage. She could control the chains as if it had it's own will, so when an enemy attacked head on (w/o any form of caution), she could easily bend them in an instant and wrap the enemy with her chains, binding him to the prison chain and robbing him of freedom to move.

This, together with Jorya's wind magic cards was very effective in all of the battles she had. There were gaps in between those chains where Jorya's wind cards could easily slip through. Andromeda could move her chains like an extension of her arms, so this combination with Jorya worked really well.

* * *

. . *. O. *. .

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**Verse XIV  
A Night without the Light of Stars**

_Little Lucy had a nightmare. Her mother was gone, everyone left her. She was all alone. She was surrounded by pitch black darkness. Cold and alone, she couldn't even hear anything. The silence was deafening._

_Such coldness. . . She was surrounded by darkness. No one was beside her, she was all alone. _

_She would wake up full of sweat and unable to move. Always, every week, she would have the same dream over and over again. The repetition and vividness of this nightmare had caused her to fear the dark._

_"No! Please, can't I sleep with the lights on?" Little Lucy would plead every single night. Her nightmares worsen whenever it was dark._

_Ms. Supetto sighed. "Little miss, I told you that it would become a bad habit if you sleep with the lights on. How can you get rid of your fear if you never face it?" she would explain. The bill was never a problem, but it might be bad if she kept this up. It would be better if she could get rid of her fear immediately._

_ "Lucy, what's wrong?"_

_ Layla visited her that night to help soothe her fears. Ms. Supetto had enough of her cries and turned to her mother for help._

_Lucy was on her bed as she looked at her mother pleadingly. "Can I sleep with the lights on? I can't sleep in the dark!"_

_Her mother sat at the side of the bed. "Really? Why?"_

_"B-Because I'm scared," she covered half her face with her blanket, a bit shy to admit it._

_Layla patted her head. "You're afraid of the dark?" she touched her bottom lip with her pointer finger as she thought up an idea. "Hmm. . . How about I tell you a story?"_

_Lucy brightened up. "You are going to tell me a story?" she asked excitedly. When she was younger, her mother used to read her stories every night but then her mother's health began to deteriorate so the stories being read to her became less and less._

_Her mother smiled. _

"_Now, the story I'm going to tell you is about a man who loves the light" she told her. Lucy nodded as she eagerly listened._

_"Once upon a time, in the vast lands of an unknown land, there was a young man who was born with great talent and strength. At such a young age, he became a scholar on the school of magic established by the wise men and had revolutionized the theories and arts of magic known by man" her mother started._

_"Now, this young man was not only given with great talent, he was also gifted with a kind heart. He would help those who are in helpless, protect those who are weak, and enlighten those who are lost. This boy was a man of light. He loves all the living things and the creatures under it. He follows his Light because he believed in its goodwill and justice."_

_ "He's a really great person" Lucy commented, imagining a very cool looking hero who would always save the day._

_"Yes, he is" her mother agreed with a small smile. There was that strange look on her eyes, as if it was filled with sense of sadness.__ "But this man has one great flaw. . ."_

_She frowned. ". . . Flaw? How could such a great person have a flaw?"_

_"It's because this man was so great and a good person that it became his flaw. The man loves the light so much that he despised the darkness or anything that tainted it. He hated it so much that he wanted to erase it from the world. He doesn't realize that it was a bad idea though."_

_Lucy was surprised at that. "How can erasing darkness be bad!?"_

_Her mother smiled. "Lucy, the light and dark were just two sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other. They form a balance. Everything must have an opposite of them as with sun and moon, winter and summer, death and life."_

"_I don't get it . . ." the child admitted, screwing up her face in confusion._

_"There will come a time when you will," Her mother chuckled and continued the story. "One day, he decided to get rid of it. He gathered all the darkness around the world, hoping to erase it as a whole, leaving only light to remain in the world. He hadn't anticipated the vastness of the darkness on the world though. Slowly but surely, he changed."_

_Lucy gasped._

_Layla continued her story. "Each person has both light and dark inside them but as he gathered the darkness around the world, his own light faded out. He became different. From the man who loves light, he became a person who only hates the darkness. He destroyed anything he deemed as evil and impure."_

"_Isn't it good that he only targets the evil ones? He's still good, right?" her child asked worriedly._

_She shook her head. "There's a difference between love and hate. In his campaign against the darkness he despised, he forgot about love and was only filled with hate. The darkness was just too much for a single person. His own light was then taken as an exchange."_

"_Why did that happen? Is the darkness too strong for people?" her child was aghast._

"_No, Lucy. It's not because of the darkness being too strong" her mother said but Lucy wasn't reassured with the story. "But a good man turned evil! Evil won!" she wailed at her mother._

"_Lucy, I said that everyone had light and dark that fights inside people. It always fought with each other inside of us. What matters is who to choose, the light or the darkness" her mother explained. _

_"But. . ." Lucy still felt bad for the man. "What happened to him?" she asked out of curiosity._

_Her mother looked out at the window. "That man became too lost in darkness. As he took in the darkness of the world, he became evil. Now that he couldn't see the light, his views had changed. He deemed that everything on earth was cruel and dark. He especially judged that it was humanity who was the root of chaos and despair. He was still on his quest to destroy evil, and thought that the only way to fight darkness was with darkness. His belief became twisted as he sank deeper and deeper into despair that he made. He delved into the forbidden arts of magic. He created demons and terrible dark spells. He took many lives and caused great devastation on earth."_

_"So heroes came to stop him, right?" Lucy guessed. She had already known the routes of stories like this would usually take. Whenever there was a villain, there would always be heroes from the opposing side. In the end, the heroes would always win. She thought it was the man who was the hero, but this time, it turned out that he was the villain._

_Her mother looked at her. "That's right. As time passed by, the heroes chosen by light stood up together and fought the man. Their hearts were of goodness and were as bright and warm as sun. They fought for justice and the goodwill of Light. By connecting the feelings of everyone, they became powerful enough to oppose the darkness the man had created" she said._

_"The feelings of everyone . . . did you mean the 'One Magic'?" she asked as she remembered._

_Layla was proud that her daughter remembered that. "That's right. Very good, you remembered. One Magic, the true origin of all magic, is the most powerful magic a person can possess. Everyone have it in their hearts, they just got to find it."_

_Little Lucy giggled, "It is Love, right? It is the most powerful feeling of all that binds everyone together." She would always brighten up whenever her mother talked about magic. It was like being brought to a fantastical adventure. _

_"Yes. Sadly though, not everyone could see it. Some would hide that at the depths of their hearts, in an abyss where no one could reach in hopes to protect their selves. . ."_

_'Just like that man in this tale. . .' Lucy thought. She still felt bad about the ending the man had. "The man became evil even if he loves the light. Does that mean that the darkness is too strong? How can I fight it then? Am I just supposed to accept it?"_

_Her mother patted her head. "No, Lucy. It's not because the darkness is too strong that he became evil, it's because he threw away his own light and forgotten love. I said that you can choose what you wanted to be and he was so absorbed in his hatred that he chose darkness. . ."_

_"You said' forgotten'," she interrupted. "Once, you have told me, that there will come a time for those who were lost to be found, and the memories forgotten shall be one day remembered in due time. You always told me that everyone deserved a second chance. . . What about that man? Didn't he deserve it too? He just fallen once, couldn't he rise up again? Did he really die in vain, in the depths of darkness because he pursued to fight it? He was once full of light, that's just too sad . . . If someone lost his light, will no one come to save him? Didn't that just mean that darkness is too scary?"_

_Her mother smiled at her complaints and questions. She patted her head. "My dear little Lucy, you don't have to worry. The man didn't die."_

_She blinked. "Really?"_

_Layla nodded. "Yes. The heroes joined forces, their hearts brimming with the glory of light and love of the world. Seeing them, the man was reminded of who he once was, and the light he once had. He stopped his desire of chaos and destruction and decided to leave, watching humanity from the distance to protect them from the creatures of darkness."_

_Lucy smiled in joy and relief. "So the man lived happily ever after?"_

_Layla paused in hesitation. Her daughter looked at her with eyes full of wonder._

_". . . Yes. The man found a fairy and he fell in love with her. . ." she told her, the smile plastered still on her face._

_"A _fairy!?_ Wow! He must be lucky to see a fairy!" Little Lucy became excited at hearing that. Fairies were always mysterious creatures in her mother's tales. They were the powerful creatures who usually live in flowers and forests. They have the power to fly, control the nature, and predict the future._

_Her mother looked at the sky outside her window. "That fairy became that person's new light, bringing him happiness he never thought he would have again. . ."_

_Lucy tilted her head to the side, her mother looked strange somehow. ". . . Mama?"_

_Her mother walked to the window and opened it, letting the cool night air come to her. She turned back and sat beside her, looking at her with her usual smile._

"_Now, to answer your question" she shifted her daughter so that she would be sitting on her lap. She wouldn't leave her daughter with any room of doubt that would make her fear the darkness because the day would come where she had to fight it. "Do you see the sky at the window?"_

_Lucy looked up at her glass window to see the clear night sky._

"_The sky was full of darkness right? Do you find yourself afraid of it?" her mother leaned her head at her own. She thought about it. "Not from here" she told her. For some reason, she found herself not afraid of it. But she was sure she fears the dark though._

_Her mother chuckled at her answer. "Look at the stars. They were surrounded by darkness but they chose to shine bright. They illuminate the night sky along with the moon to light the way on the people down on earth."_

_Lucy looked at the bright twinkling stars in the sky, her own eyes reflected them. "These stars continue to shine their light even when they were surrounded by darkness. Just like these stars that continue to shine at night, a person's pure good heart would also continue to shine against the darkness." _

_"The stars are not afraid?" she asked her mother in wonder. She pointed at them, "Look, they were quite far away from each other, doesn't that make them alone in darkness?"_

_Her mother thought about it. _"_Maybe yes, maybe no. There are lots of different stars. However, all of them choose to shine against the darkness. Their own light connected with each other and reached the hearts of everyone."_

_She was amazed at that. "I want to be like a star!" she told her mother. Unlike the man who lost against the darkness once, she would continue to shine and guide the people who were lost in darkness. _

_Her mother hugged her, her eyes were filled with sadness but she won't let her daughter see it. "That's good. Walk the path of light, don't falter against the darkness."_

_What this little mage didn't know was there was another side of the story . . . a truly twisted tale for the fate this man had to suffer. Layla Heartfilia didn't want her daughter to know of such a sad and tragic tale._

_The man who had loved the light and the good of this world had once sought to protect it even if it cost him his life. However, with the cruel hands of Fate, his precious Light . . . the person he held dear the most . . . was taken away from him by Ankhselam's cold scythe. If only that never happened . . . then maybe all of the chaos and destruction wouldn't have transpired. If that never happened, then maybe the young man wouldn't have delved into the forbidden magic of life and death. If that never happened. . . then he wouldn't have received the Curse of Contradiction that would have made him suffer for eternity._

_The man who was once a follower of Light had now been trapped in the cold clutches of Darkness. He would never have the chance to walk on the path of Light again. As long as he loved, he would take away all life. He had to throw away the love he had for all life in order to keep the world safe. . . Yet, throwing away the love he had for all life would endanger the world with his powers._

_Worst of all, he was granted immortality. Forever he must live in darkness or isolation. He must live in regret and loneliness or in anger and frustration. Never must he love again and gain anything of importance or else he would lose them all. The man was unfortunately destined to walk the path of chaos and destruction._

_But Fate had more in store for him. _

_As if the world had taken pity of him, the man had met a fairy. The fairy was an innocent creature, full of light and hope of the future. For the long years the man had lived, she was the first ever person to approach him. With her warm smile and eyes that twinkle like stars, she showed him back to the world of light._

_With her by his side, he learned again the meaning of love._

_However, he should have known. Fate was a really cruel jester. As the man finally started to learn how to live happily despite his curse, She played a cruel trick on him._

_She gave the same curse to his beloved fairy. . ._

_For two birds of the same feather should be together . . . She said, but that wasn't all. For a story of Fate wouldn't be complete without its twist. _

_Two immortals cursed by the same Fate. The fairy, who had accepted the man and his curse, promised a future where they would get out of the curse. With a vow that they would walk together, hand by hand, she returned his love._

_The Abyss of Magic, the beginning of everything, such is the unifying magic, Love._

_For Love makes miracles. . ._

_And, at times, it is also capable of calamities . . ._

_And with Her twisted sick taste, Fate played another cruel joke on him. . ._

_The love of these two, afflicted with the Curse of Contradiction . . ._

_Brought forth one final contradiction. . ._

_The curse that causes one to steal life the more one loves it . . ._

_. . . Had stolen away the life of his beloved fairy, even when she was supposed to be immortal._

_That is the story of the cursed boy and his fairy. His love . . . his sadness . . . they were what would bring the whole world to darkness._

-:-

Lucy Heartfilia woke up in the middle of the night. Wind gently blew at her window.

Her eyes narrowed. In the shadows of her room, she felt a presence of the stranger.

"Who's there?"

In the corner of the room was a shadow of a cloaked figure. The night was still and quiet as if holding its breath. The shadow stepped out, his steps the only sound echoing in this quiet night.

"Greetings, Lucy-sama. I had come here to pick you up. . ."

_This person . . ._ She felt the stranger's power was not normal. Her heart hammered at her chest, she wasn't sure if she could take out this guy with her strength alone. Instinctively, her hands went to clutch her celestial keys. "Pick me up? And what do you want from me?"

It felt like something was stuck at her throat. But she had to swallow her fear, the stranger in front of her was emitting a very dangerous aura.

". . . We need your strength, this world's Celeste. Your celestial keys are our only way . . ."

Her eyes widened. "My keys? What do you want with my keys!?"

Instincts screamed at her, she won't be able to take this guy. She's still recovering and only a third of her magic was regained. Her hands shook as her grip tightened around her key. _Leo. . . _a wild idea came to her. The Lion's key was already used up, so she won't be able to summon him. _If that's the case . . ._

She removed his key from the rest. _If he's after the Celestials then . . ._

Lucy glared at him. "I don't know who you are . . . but I won't let you get your hands on my keys so easily! I open thee, Gate of the Goat, Capricorn!"

_Whoosh. . ._

Her eyes widened in shock. "What?"

Her summoning was blocked. The stranger's stretched out hand stayed still in the air.

"I'm sorry. But you are already inside of my space. You cannot use any of your spatial magic here. . ."

She glared at him, her hand reaching for her whip beside her table. "What do you plan to do with my keys?" Activating Fleuve d'étoiles, she jumped and whipped at the stranger, planning to entangle him. However, as soon as the whip wrapped around the cloaked figure, the stranger vanished into wisps of darkness . . . as if the person was made of darkness itself. . .

"I suggest you stop. Your struggle is futile."

The stranger appeared at her back. She turned to retaliate at him but it was too late. An unseen force took hold of her, stopping her movements. She gritted her teeth in an effort to break free, however the force holding her just tightened. She yelped in pain as she fell to the ground. The stranger just stood there, watching her curled in pain, struggling as the force binding her kept tightening and tightening. She glared at him.

"Ugh . . . N-Nat . . . su. . ."

"We are already in a separated space. Even if you shout for help, no one will hear you from here."

"You . . . just . . . who . . . are you?"

Darkness seemed to gather around the stranger, creeping out of him from the floor into the walls and into the ceiling. Slowly, steadily, they reach up to her, ready to welcome her to the bottomless darkness.

"I am but a servant of Night. . . And you . . ."

The stranger stood there as her escort.

_"You shall be our needed sacrifice to return the Light in our starless sky."_

* * *

. . . o . . .

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End of Chapter

So here you go. Hope you enjoy it. I promised to tell you the full story of _The Man who Loves the Light_ on an extra chapter (which I planned to be after the Celestial Village arc). This is my nod to the manga, although I did add a bit of my own twist and head canon on the tale. I wanna show that Layla had already known the story of a certain someone. If you didn't know _who_ the tale was pertaining to, you need to update yourself with the latest chapters.

**PS: Just so you know, so far, this fic is behind in votes on which story would you like to be priority on my profile :)**


	15. Verse 15: The Lost Key

Hello everyone!

Thank you for liking, reviewing, favoriting, and following this story!

**ANNOUNCEMENT:** I've updated the poll, as I've uploaded more stories. Check out my other stories and vote which one you like to be prioritize. xD

Enjoy!

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Verse XV  
**The Lost Key**

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"What the hell is going on. . .?"

Everyone stared in shock at the cold empty bed where Lucy Heartfilia once slept. Sweat ran down their spine, the team had a bad feeling about this.

All of them planned on surprising Lucy with a party. So, everyone woke up early and made preparations. The girls were the ones who handled the food. Meanwhile, the guys handled the decorations. When everything was ready, they went up to check on her but . . .

"No, she isn't in the bathroom!" Yukino cried out to them, coming from the door. Of course, the initial reaction to a missing patient was to check if they were only doing morning duties.

But she wasn't there.

Worse off, Natsu and Wendy couldn't detect her scent leaving the room at all! Neither the door, nor the windows indicate that she went there.

"Where could she be?" Frosch asked worriedly.

Sting looked seriously at Natsu, sweat running down his temple. "Natsu . . ."

He should have sensed it too. It's very faint, almost invisible, but there was definitely an unfamiliar scent in this room. An unwelcomed stranger went into her room and took her away.

Natsu stayed silent and walked to the center of the room.

"How can you be so calm about this!? It's so obvious! Someone took her!"

Sting couldn't hold it anymore. The deafening silence in the room was killing him. If it was him, and Yukino had been taken, he would flip the whole town over, yelling at the top of his lungs to look for her.

". . . Sting" Yukino looked worriedly at him.

Erza kneeled down the floor. "Calm down. Nothing will be solved if we flip out now and run around blindly" she told him, as she checked the ground for any wisps of magic. Wendy checked the windows, looking for any scent. Gray looked around the furniture. Carla and Happy flew around the area to look for any clues of the celestial mage.

_Calm?_ Yeah, right.

Team Natsu was anything _but_ calm.

Despite the cool exterior they were showing, their inside were already burning with anger and frustration. Their friend was _taken_ away right under their watch. Lucy Heartfilia is part of their family. Touching and harming their family is one of the greatest taboos one could do to Fairy Tail

And while they seemed calmly investigating, their minds were already racing ahead, thinking of all possibilities that could have fallen on the Celestial mage.

Natsu Dragneel was especially furious. Lucy was _his_ partner. He had been suppressing his self since yesterday. His patience had been pushed to the limit where he had to hold his self as he watched her suffer from the underhanded tactics of the people of this village.

How many times had they separated?

How many times had she been _taken_ away from him?

How many times had he _watched_ her hurt and almost killed?

Truly, remembering those would always bring a burning feeling in his chest. He could only let it slide behind him because _he_ managed to put a stop on those. _He_ managed to save her every single time she was near death. She would always smile at him in the end and laugh together, thinking the experience was one hell of an adventure. But this . . .

With the frustration that stored up yesterday, and the fact that she had been taken while they were downstairs _having_ fun. The anger, indignation, slight to his pride, and regret . . . everything had piled up and turned into a dangerous flame deep inside him. It reached to the point that he knew that uttering a word could make him blew up and burn the whole building down.

But even Natsu was not idiotic enough to do that. His partner had been kidnapped, and the only clue to the true perpetrator was inside this room. If he blew up now, there would only be damages and it would be harder to search for her. And he also didn't know_ who_ to direct this anger to.

He removed the blanket from her bed. Aside from the bed, nothing seemed to be off around the room. That means she was taken while she was asleep. _No, that sounded wrong. . ._ Lucy won't let herself get taken away without a fight no matter how unaware or taken by surprise she was. He looked at her bedside and found that her whip handle was missing. Looking under the bed, he saw Fleuve d'étoiles had rolled on the ground.

His mind was racing, imagining the scenario that happened. Lucy tried to fight, indeed, just as he expected. She always kept her whip beside her at all times. The fact it wasn't on the bedside or underneath her pillow means that the one who visited her was indeed an enemy. His eyes darkened.

The room not having much damage only indicated that the perpetrator was someone strong enough to handle her easily and end it in a short fight. He might have covered her in a cloaking magic or used a space magic to transport her out of here, given that her scent never left this room.

_But why?_

No, the reason doesn't matter. Someone _dared_ to forcefully take her. The only thing he cared about was taking her back and making sure that _that_ person pay for it.

He won't ever forgive him if something happens to Lucy.

That was when he noticed something odd. The cover of her bed was crumpled on the side, as if a hand hastily shoved it in. That was strange because Lucy always like everything in her room to be neat and tidy. Her bed always looked like they had been ironed. He instinctively checked it, searching with his hand to see if there's something in it.

His hand sooner came in contact with a slender and cold metallic object. His eyes widened.

"! . . This . . .!?"

He pulled it out, knowing immediately what it was.

Erza and Wendy immediately turned to him, and had their eyes also widened at seeing the object.

"That. . .!?"

"Why is that here . . . !?"

Gray and Rogue turned, looking what the commotion was about. Sting looked over too, and was surprised at what he saw. "Hey. . . Isn't that . . ."

Yukino gasped beside him, hands on her mouth. She had no words to say. Being a celestial mage, she knew what that meant. Frosch and Lector stared stupidly beside her.

In Natsu's hand was the Golden key of the Zodiac. The symbol of The Lion etched at the end of its beautiful handle.

~0~

She opened her hazel eyes in the coldness of the stone floor and pitch black darkness. Her hands and feet were bound with a chain.

She doesn't know where exactly she was or how much time had passed already. There was no way to tell time here. The only thing she knew was that she was in a dungeon deep inside a castle.

"Natsu . . ."

The Golden haired summoner was alone, trapped. Pursing her lip, she called out to the name. Hoping that in some way or another, that he . . .

Tears began to fall from her eyes. Her cries were the only thing echoing in the deafening silence of the darkness of the abyss.

* * *

. . . o . . .

* * *

End of Chapter

_With Leo's Key left behind? What could it all mean? What will Natsu and everyone do now? Will they find the perpetrator? _

Yoo hoo! Leave your comments behind! I love reading them and also your analysis. Constructive criticism are welcome. (Seriously, point them out).


	16. Verse 16: Seeking Answers

Hello everyone!

Thanks for supporting this series! Especially those who reviewed for every chapters~ I'll try to keep up with the updates (once a month at least, but I'll try for every week). School has started with lots to study T-T

Enjoy!

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**Verse XVI**  
**Seeking Answers**

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"_Celestial Spirits are not here to help humanity, it's to watch over this world. Once "The One" had gathered all of the Twelve Zodiac keys, the Heaven Judgement will come and destroy this world. . ."_

Jorya looked down in worry. She didn't mean to, but she was on the tallest roof of her house when Aquila and Bahram talked so she overheard their conversation. Truly, it surprised her. She had never wondered about the existence of the Celestial keys. Now that she thought of it, it was indeed odd that Spirits of the other world were being allowed here. And they were from the _Celestial Realm _of all places!

_Are they really here to bring judgement to the world? _She thought worriedly. _Was it all a dream?_

She looked back at her new silver key. Aquila, her grandfather's most trusted spirit, had decided to make a contract with her that night. Even with his key at her hand, it all still felt like a dream.

She used to be a talentless child . . . Not only that, she was also mean-spirited. She made a lot of bad things and mistakes. Yet, even so, she was blessed with this much after everything that transpired. Truly, it was too much. She knew she didn't deserve even half of it, yet they let her have the chance to change.

She didn't know that her family's history with Spirits ran very deeply. Her grandfather was a very secretive and close-minded man. His involvement with Celestial spirits had still shocked her every time she thought of it. . .

. . .

"Waaaaaaaahhhhhh! How can that be!? Andromeda _and_ my grandfather!? No way!"

She still couldn't get over that fact. Every single time she thought about it, she couldn't help but be weird out. Seriously, a never aging spirit and a mortal human being only sounded nice in dramas. His grandpa may have been young once, but no matter how she looked at it, it was like thinking an old man falling in love with a girl her age! Besides . . . _what about Grandma!?_

The story of her family, and the Spirits choosing her was already too much to take in. Now she had to find out that her Spirit and grandfather actually had a _relationship_!? Most of all, there was that info about _Heaven's Judgement!_

These thoughts had been confusing and torturing her all night she was still up till this early morning. It was just way too much for her.

". . ."

Her hands clenched at her keys. _Are Spirits really here to end this world?_

They were good people. They let her have this chance of life. They had forgiven her for everything she had done and was even helping her to stand up again. _For such kindred spirits to do that . . ._

Somehow, she couldn't accept it at all.

". . ."

She stood up. That thought had worried her to no end. Thinking about it, she also got so many questions. It won't be solved by sitting around and sulking about it. She needed _answers. _

Resolving herself, she summoned the courage to open _his _gate. _He'_s the only one who could answer her questions, whether it'll be good or bad to her liking.

"I open thy Gate, Aquila!"

And at her command, the gate opened, making way for the half bird, half-man Spirit with mismatch of red and gold eagle eyes. "You called, Jorya-sama. . ."

It wasn't a question, it was a statement. He was never the type to ask directly.

"Yes. I'm assuming you already know why I called you here. . ." she started.

"It is quite obvious" he said curtly.

"Then. . . last night . . ."

"As I've told your grandfather, we do not know the true purpose of _The Contract_ between humans. It has been simply too long ago that we had forgotten . . . or maybe it was never stated to us why. We Spirits usually remember everything after all. . . We simply follow _The Law_ and _Will of the King."_

That was not the answer she needed. ". . . What if your _King_ wanted to destroy our world?"

He thought about it. ". . . That's . . . improbable. The King follows order and won't do anything against _The Law. . ."_

"_The Law?_" her face screwed up in cluelessness.

"Yes. The Celestial beings, as guardians of the realms, follow _The Law_ in order to not disrupt the worlds and their flow of spirit. It is especially forbidden to directly interfere with human affairs. . ."

"Meaning?" she was quite confused. _Why are they here making contracts then?_

And he answered, as if reading her mind. "Us Spirits can only stay in this world by having a contractor that will act as mediator. With the contract, we are bound to the summoner's will. It's against the law to act against a contractor's wish. Even the King respects that."

"B-But. . . what about that thing about _Heaven's Judgement? _My grandfather couldn't be lying about that. . ._"_

"Even so, we are still not allowed to use our own ethernano (referred as _'flow of spirit'_). In order to use magic, we need an equivalent exchange which is the contractor's own magic. We are not allowed to do anything that will be against the contractor. . ."

"So your magic is really only limited to the mage's power?" she asked as she was still in doubt.

Aquila looked at her resolutely. "That is correct. You should have known that already. Not only our magic is limited, but also our actions are limited."

Jorya looked down, a sweat running down her temple into her cheek. "But . . . what did my grandmother died for then?"

He closed his gold and red eyes as he gave his opinion.

"I'm afraid she died from her misplaced hate and misunderstanding. . ."

Jorya looked up at him. "But that's . . !"

She stopped herself and clenched her fists. _No, that isn't what I want to ask. . . It'll be better that way. . ._

She took a deep breath as she looked back at Aquila. "My grandgather . . . loved . . . Andromeda. . ." she started again with slight hesitation.

". . ."

He stayed silent, not showing any form of expression for the question.

". . . What about my grandmother?" she asked.

"I believe he loved her too. . ."

"How can that be!?" this was getting confusing for her.

"I'm afraid you are asking the wrong person. It is not for me to speak of another person's feelings. . ."

Her eyes narrowed. "Then let me change the question. You said _they _love each other, but how come Andromeda _hated_ him? What happened between them?"

All she knew was that her grandfather had betrayed them for her grandmother.

His eyes suddenly turned cold as the memory went back to him.

". . . I cannot answer that question. It'll be discourteous of me to speak of another Spirit's private matters. If you really want to know, you got to ask the person herself. . ."

Jorya pursed her lips as she looked down. This was getting frustrating. She knew she wouldn't be able to ask Andromeda now. She remembered Andromeda's face as she saw Bahram and Aquila. Her expression turned into an expression she couldn't explain in words as she heard their last exchange.

"_. . . Andromeda," she called out to her in worry as they stood on the roof._

_The Chained Spirit's eyes were hidden behind her bangs, not showing any hints of what she was feeling. She stood up and walked away._

"_Do you think . . . Do you think she will ever forgive me?"_

_She stopped on her tracks, shocked to hear those words. She turned and looked back at the two. It was the first time for Jorya and Lepus to see a very shaken and unsure Andromeda. Her usually dark cold eyes were opened wide and filled with wariness. But that only lasted for a second as she looked down and turned her back away again. _

"_. . . Lepus," Andromeda called out in a low voice._

_The young boy flinched as his attention was called. "Y-Yes?"_

_Her face was hidden by the shadows of her hair. No one could fathom what exactly she was feeling right now. ". . . Let's go back."_

_Lepus could only frown in worry, but he nodded. The two went back to their worlds._

Andromeda couldn't find it in herself to summon her again and ask about that. She doesn't want Andromeda to make such a face again. Just seeing that hurt expression on her face was painful enough.

But she truly wanted to know the full story. She was their master now, after all. Getting to know her spirits was the least she could do.

_**BBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!**_

Jorya flinched in shock as the ground and walls shook. Explosion and screams could be heard loudly coming from the outside.

"What the –!? What is that about!?"

Alarmed, she ran outside to see what was happening.

The courtyard was filled with smoke and panicking people. They were screaming and running like little ants.

"What's wrong!?" she grabbed Wendel who was running in panic.

"I-I don't know!" he screamed, fretting to run away. "We are just doing business as usual when a monster suddenly came and started rampaging!"

_Monster!?_

"What kind of monster!? Why aren't you fighting it!?" she grabbed both his shoulders and shook him.

"That guy's too strong! Our keys are _nothing_ against him!"

That shocked her. "You mean he's a person!?" _How can a person make a whole village full of mages in panic like this!? _

"Just who on earth –"

Just before she could ask, her question was answered.

"_WHERE IS SHE!? WHERE DID YOU TAKE LUCY!?_"

The familiar voice roared, shaking the whole village over. Sparks of fire could be seen everywhere.

"What the – !?" Her eyes widened in shock and confusion as she saw the source of the commotion.

In the middle of the courtyard was the companion of Lucy Heartfilia, the pink haired mage with sharp onyx eyes. His face was dark with anger as he beat up all the mages that blocked his way.

At hearing her voice, the dragon-slayer turned to look at her. She flinched, terrified. The lad was burning with the red flames of anger. His eyes glowed red. A cold chill ran down her spine. He looked like a _demon_ that came from hell itself.

"Jorya!" Wendel cried out in warning but it was too late.

Before she could move, he quickly launched at her in full speed. _Too fast! _She didn't have the time to react, much less see his move. Coiling his hands on her collar, he lifted her up.

"**WHERE IS**_** SHE**_**!?**" he yelled at her. His face screwed up in anger, one could see the veins popping at his temple. Jorya trembled in fear, too shocked and scared to speak.

He pushed his face closer to her, his voice growling with threat as he stressed each word. "_**I . . . SAID. . . WHERE . . . IS **_. . .**SHE**_**!?"**_

She couldn't find her voice to answer. _What are you talking about!? Who is _she_!? Why are you doing this!?_

"Put her down. I doubt she knew the answer to your question. . ."

A calm voice said behind her.

The rampaging lad glared at the source as he dropped her down. She fell to the ground, coughing. She looked at the person who came to her rescue. "Y-You . . ."

Natsu looked at him daringly. "_You._ . ."

Shishio, the guard with black hair and serene blue eyes smiled. "Don't you know that it's barbaric to rampage in a peaceful town like this?"

_Swish. . ._

A blade was drawn. Shishio's smile fell as he glanced sideways at the person who was holding the sword. "And. . . It's rude to point blades at people. . ."

Beside him, Erza stood firmly behind him as she pointed her sword at his neck. Her eyes narrowed in anger. "Where did you take our friend?"

Jorya held her chest as she found it hard to breathe. The pressure of the threatening aura of people around her was just too much. It was _suffocating._ . .

"What are you talking about? What _friend!?" _she was too confused at the situation.

"Don't play dumb with us! It's only you sneaky bastards who had the motive to do this. . ."

Gray appeared, walking calmly into the scene. The icy coldness of his aura was equally pressuring to the high tension of the atmosphere.

Still, Jorya still found it in herself to have the courage to glare at them. "Like I said, I have _no idea_ what you're talking about!"

Natsu looked down at her. She flinched involuntarily. His eyes seemed to be made of flaring amber of madness. She had never seen such fierce looking eyes. . .

"From the looks of it, she is speaking the truth . . ." Shishio said with a shrug.

Erza glared at him. "Then, is it you? Are you the one who kidnap Lucy?"

Jorya's eyes widened. _Lucy Heartfilia has been kidnapped!?_

"Oh, come on . . . do you have to point fingers at every person you met?" Shishio said, unperturbed at the blade at his neck.

As the four stood still in a deadlock, the wind blew at them ominously and slowly cleared the smoke and dust. Another four people came running to them together with the four exceeds.

"OI! Don't run off on your own!" Sting yelled at them.

As soon as they found the _Golden Key of the Lion_, Natsu immediately took off and ran on his own. Erza and Gray immediately followed suit, leaving everyone in the dust. Well, at least they were easy to find. Just look for a place in chaos and they would surely be there.

At that moment of distraction, Shishio took his chance. He immediately ducked and grab Erza's wrist, catching her off guard. He turned to spin and threw her off with the new arrivals. Instead of hitting them though, she managed to spin off the momentum and skidded on the ground with her feet. She glared at him.

"You . . . You've been suspicious from the start. . . Just _who _are you!?" she gritted her teeth in annoyance.

Shishio smiled at them. "I've told you. I'm just a simple guard and an escort, Shishio."

Yukino halted and looked at him in alarm. "No . . . That man . . . he's definitely _not_ Shishio! I've been into this village lots of times already and knew Shishio who is this town's guard!"

Everyone turned to look at Yukino.

She took a deep breath. "In fact, I've met him yesterday when a girl locked me away in some cottage! Right now, he's resting at his own home to recover. . ." she pointed at the blue haired young man with scar on his face. "That guy is an imposter! He used magic to overwrite people's memory and infiltrate this town!"

Everyone's eyes widened in shock as they turned to look at the infiltrator.

The man, however, looked with bored eyes. He shrugged nonchalantly, as if being busted was not much of a big deal. "Well, I guess its times up for my disguise . . ."

"So . . . you're the one who took Lucy?" Natsu growled, lighting his fist on fire.

He smirked. "You're quite the hot-headed one . . ."

The two got into position, ready to pounce and attack one another. Natsu raised his arms as the stranger readied his spells.

But before the two could make a move, a voice interrupted them.

"_Aziel! You _idiot_! Don't make everything much worse than it already is!"_

A young girl's voice called out to them.

Everyone looked up at the source of the voice. At the roof of a house was a young girl with purple eyes and hair which is tied in two buns. The wind blew at her long hooded cloak, making its end flutter with grace. She glared at the black haired man named Aziel.

Yukino's eyes widened in shock and terror. She recognized the girl as the owner of the _Black Snake _that had captured her.

Aziel's mouth twitched in annoyance. "Well, it's about time you come here. . ."

He looked at her with his cold apathetic eyes.

". . . _Nathalia_."

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. . . o . . .

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End of Chapter

_Finally! The group met up with the two mysterious characters that kept working behind the scenes! Just who are they and what connection do they have with the mystery of Lucy's disappearance!? The answers will be on the next chapter!  
_

**A/N: **Right now we're on an intermission arc, I'm planning to tie up the loose ends that the prologue arc left here! This might last 6-8 chapters, with an interesting twist :P But the next arc after this is the real deal! So stay tuned!

Leave your reviews behind! :D


	17. Verse 17: Seeking Answers

**Hello everyone!**

Thank you for waiting. Here comes the new chapter!

Enjoy!

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. . *. O. * . .

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**Verse XVII  
Seeking Answers**

". . . _Nathalia_."

Shishio looked at the purple haired child coldly in which she returned.

Yukino's eyes widened. "You. . ."

She knew that child with empty amethyst eyes. She was the one who attacked her. _Why would she be here!?_

"Ah! Could it be . . ." Sting looked at the child seriously, a sweat dripping from his temple.

"It's you!" Rogue finished, looking with surprise.

Surprisingly, the twin dragons recognized the girl too. _Just what is the meaning of this?_ Everyone turned to look at the two for answers. Yukino was especially startled by this. "You know her?"

Sting nodded.

"Yeah. She's the one who helped us. . ."

Her eyes narrowed in confusion. "Helped you? She's the one who attacked me!"

Happy was surprised. "Eh!? Is that true!? But she's the one who sent us to help you!" he said, confused.

"What?"

_Back at the time when Lucy was still fighting the Celestial Duel and the Twin Dragons clashed with Natsu. . ._

"_Where is Yukino!?" Rogue demanded as he realized that the white-haired mage was missing. A bad feeling suddenly clutched at his chest. _

_Happy was flying above, seeing it all. Everything was a mess and he doesn't know what to do. Lucy looked to be in a dangerous position, at the same time, the others are fighting. He wasn't sure whether to support Lucy or help Erza and Gray._

_Before he could react though, a long and thick shadow flashed just below him. Being high above everyone, he immediately saw what was coming. Darkness swept though the floor like a flood that engulfs everything. And the direction it was going to was. . ._

"_Rogue!" Frosch yelled in worry._

"_Sting!" Lector screamed as he dived to his partner's rescue._

_Instinctively, Happy turned to help. Going full-speed, he was the fastest among the dragon-slayer's exceeds. _

_. . . Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough._

_The Twin Dragons were caught off-guard as the floor they were standing on suddenly turned into a void. Happy was only fast enough to reach them before they were swallowed by the darkness. Everything turned black._

_Closing his eyes, Happy braced himself for the inevitable. He expected to be crushed to death, perhaps even be obliterated to oblivion. . . _

_. . .But it never came._

"_Lector. . . Happy. . . Are you okay?"_

_Hearing Sting's voice, Happy opened one of his eyes to peek at the situation. Sting was holding onto them, looking with worry._

"_We're. . . fine?" Happy was shocked at the fact that nothing happened to them._

_Sting sighed in relief. "Good. Don't worry, I'm here and I can protect you."_

_Happy was relieved too. How come they are still in one piece after that ominous wave of darkness hit them? They were still in the same place in one piece. . ._

_. . ._

_Happy's eyes widened. No! That was wrong. Something _did_ happen. In that split second of mistaken relief, he realized immediately what happened._

"_Where are we?"_

_The place looked like they were still in the coliseum . . . but the whole place was dark, as if all the light were extinguished. It was a wonder how they can still see each other in this darkness and recognize the area that were a meters away from them. There weren't any source for the light._

_But what was bothering was not the darkness. It's the silence._

_Not even the night wind can be heard. It was as if everything was held into stillness . . . like the time itself had stopped._

_The silence was deafening. He knew immediately that they were the only living souls in this place._

"_Are we still in the Coliseum?" Frosch asked anxiously. _

"_I don't know. . ." Rogue replied looking around. "It seemed that we are the only ones around. Natsu. . . those villager . . . everyone else are not in this place. Just where are we?"_

_Sssssssshhhhhhhhhhhssssssssss_

_Suddenly there was sound of the wind as if the hissing. It was ominous. Like that of a snake drawing close to its prey. Everyone was startled as they felt an aura unfamiliar to them. Someone was here._

"_Who's there!?" Sting called out, taking a fighting stance. The hissing in the air became louder. _

"_I __**a**__M a __**m**__eS__**s**__sen__**g**__er. S__**s**__sE__**n**__t t__**o**__ bR__**i**__n__**g**__ y__**o**__u __**t**__o thiS__**s**__s d__**i**__M__**e**__n_s_**i**_**o**_**n**__. . ."_

_From the soft hissing of the wind, words could be distinguished. The daunting whispering voice echoed as if it was directly said inside their brain._

_Due to the dead silence earlier and the eerie atmosphere of the place, they were immediately on high alert._

"_Why did you bring us here!? What do you want!?" he daringly yelled while keeping a watchful eye. He couldn't make out where the voice was coming from. It was as if the entire space was the one who was talking. _

"_s_**s**_**s**__S_s_**s**__ . . . __**A**__n a_n_s__**s**__Sw__**e**__r f__**O**_r_**a**__n a__**n**__s__**S**__sw__**e**__r. . . __**I**__'_v_**e**__ a__**n**__sS_s_**s**__we__**r**__ed yO__**u**_r_ q__**u**__e_s_**s**__Ssti__**o**__n . . . __**i**__t's__**s**_s_ y__**o**__U__**r**__ t__**u**__R_n_ t__**o**__ an__**sS**_S_sw__**e**__r m_i_**n**__e. . . A__**r**_e_ y_O_**u**__ a f__**r**__Ie_n_**d**__. . .o__**f**__ Lu__**c**__y __**H**__e__**a**_r_tf__**i**__l_i_a. . . __**o**__r _a_ f__**o**_e_. . ?_

"_I am Lucy's nakama!" Happy answered immediately without thought. _

_They felt the air stir around them. Sting held out his arm in front of Happy, putting him protectively behind his back. "I don't know what this is about, but we need to go back". _

"_T__**h**_e_ w__**o**_m_a__**n**__ t__**h**__At __**w**_a_S__**s**_s_ w__**I**__t__**h**__ y_o_**u**__. . ."_

_His eyes widened, knowing immediately who the voice was pertaining to. "You know where Yukino is!?" Sting was quick to ask. _

"_**Y**_e_s__**s**_S_. S__**s**_h_e i__**s**__S_s_ l__**o**__Cat__**e**__d i__**n**_a_ c__**o**__tT_a_g__**e**__ s__**S**__so__**m**__e_w_**h**__e_**r**_e. . ."_

"_Where?" Frosch asked worriedly. Lector was behind him in support._

"_M_**y**_**M**__as__**S**__ster . . . __**o**__r_d_er_**e**_d __**m**__e . . . t_**o**_ b_**r**_in__**g**__ y_**o**_U . . .  
. . . i__**f**_y_**o**__u a_g_R__**e**__e . . . t_**o**c_oO__**p**__er_a_**t**__e . . ."_

_Sting was ready to agree, willing to do anything if it was for the sake of his nakama, but Rogue put a hand on his shoulder and stepped in. He glared at the darkness. "Why should we trust you? You're not even showing your face!"_

"_W__**h**__et_**h**_er y__**o**__u t__**r**__us_**s**_St m_e_**o**__r __**n**__ot . . . Y__**o**__u _h_a__**v**__e n__**o**__ c_h_o__**i**__ce. . . B__**u**__t __**v**_e_r__**y**__ w_**e**_ll . . ."_

"_What . . ?"_

_And suddenly, an image of a hooded girl with amethyst eyes flashed across them. From the cold eyes overlooking the battle in the coliseum, they could see what was happening right now._

"_Wha -!? Lucy is in danger!"_

"_Do you see now? If you are on the same side, then you will cooperate. . ."_

_A different voice suddenly spoke. It was the voice of the girl._

_Sting narrowed his eyes. "Who are you? And what do you want us to do?"_

"_Who I am does not matter now. If you promise me to help the Celeste, I'll bring you to the location of that woman with you. Only she can help in turning the tides of this battle right now. . ."_

"And before we realized it, we are swallowed by darkness again and found ourselves riding a black giant snake. We found the place Yukino is locked in and destroyed the magic barriers surrounding it. It seemed it can only get destroyed from the outside, that's why Yukino can't get out even when she has the keys with her . . ."

Rogue explained to everyone.

Yukino couldn't help but be confused. "That doesn't make any sense. . . She attacked me!" Remembering her fearsome snake had made her tensed.

The purple haired girl slightly bent her head. "My apologies. . . I didn't intend to harm the allies of the Celeste. I thought that you were intending to steal the Celestial Keys given that it was the nature of your mission in this village. . ."

"What!?" Erza was quite surprised to hear that. She looked at them for an explanation. Although, now that one carefully thought about this, it made sense. Why else would Sabertooth, the rival guild of Fairy Tai, be here? It wouldn't be surprising if this village thought that they were on bad terms on each other and hired them to for it.

"Yeah, it was originally a 'protect' mission on the request but we immediately declined it after we heard what it was really about. We just ended up staying to warn you guys about it" Sting explained, his exceed nodding in agreement.

"_**Enough of this . . ."**_

A low and dangerous voice spoke out.

Surprisingly, Natsu,_ who was staying unusually quiet_, was actually waiting patiently for everyone to explain themselves. But now his patience ran thin. It was already a good fit for this hot-headed man to wait this long.

His aura emitted heat as if he was burning coal as he looked glaringly at the two strangers in front of him.

"_**Which one of you took Lucy?"**_

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. . . o . . .

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**End of Chapter**

_What happened to the Twin Dragons during the Celestial Duel is revealed. What would the two strangers bring to our heroes?  
_

**Thank you for everyone who favorite and followed this story!**

**For those who reviewed, thank you! I'll try my best!**


	18. Author's Note

**.o.**

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**Author's Note:**

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Hello everyone!

Some of you may be waiting eagerly for the next update and I am sending this message as an apology. As you may have known, I haven't updated for quite some time and it would be difficult for me to continuously update right now.

School has started and there's also problems that pop out, but most importantly, is that our computer broke. Basically, I lost my files for update.

With that, I thank you for your patience.

Unfortunately, I decided to focus my attention to one story at a time (and updates will be irregular). And my main focus will be with "A Never Ending Tale: Wish of a Lifetime" as it actually has the easiest and simplest plot compared to my other long-series such as "World of Sorrow" and "A Fairy Tale". (_Or would you still like me to divide my focus since the updates are irregular anyway?_) I, at least, wanted to finish one story. I've been planning to leave fanfiction but I find it regrettable to leave my stories. Right now, no promises.

As for the other two, I kinda decided to drop it although I would also like to continue "I HATE Summer" as it is a fun story to read and write (_it's also short_).

With that, thank you for understanding! I am going to go with hiatus for my other series (with indefinite time for update)!

* * *

**Thank you for everyone who favorite and followed my story!**

**For those who reviewed, thank you!**

* * *

'M'


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